7 CFR 1468.8 - Land eligibility provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION FARM OPTION General Provisions... Marketing Transition Act of 1996 and if the land upon which the CFO conservation practice, will be applied... eligible wetland restoration or protection practice similar to WRP in accordance with § 1468.6(b); or (c) 7...

Improving Environmental Management on Small-scale Farms: Perspectives of Extension Educators and Horse Farm Operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebecca, Perry-Hill; Linda, Prokopy

2015-01-01

Although the number of small-scale farms is increasing in North America and Europe, few studies have been conducted to better understand environmental management in this sector. We investigate this issue by examining environmental management on horse farms from both the perspective of the "expert" extension educator and horse farm operator. We conducted a Delphi survey and follow-up interviews with extension educators in Indiana and Kentucky. We also conducted interviews and farm assessments with 15 horse farm operators in the two states. Our results suggest a disconnection between the perceptions of extension educators and horse farm operators. Extension educators believed that operators of small horse farms are unfamiliar with conservation practices and their environmental benefits and they found it difficult to target outreach to this audience. In the interviews with horse farm operators, we found that the majority were somewhat familiar with conservation practices like rotational grazing, soil testing, heavy use area protection, and manure composting. It was not common, however, for practices to be implemented to generally recognized standards. The horse farm respondents perceived these practices as interrelated parts of a system of farm management that has developed over time to best deal with the physical features of the property, needs of the horses, and available resources. Because conservation practices must be incorporated into a complex farm management system, traditional models of extension (i.e., diffusion of innovations) may be inappropriate for promoting better environmental management on horse farms.

Improving environmental management on small-scale farms: perspectives of extension educators and horse farm operators.

PubMed

Rebecca, Perry-Hill; Linda, Prokopy

2015-01-01

Although the number of small-scale farms is increasing in North America and Europe, few studies have been conducted to better understand environmental management in this sector. We investigate this issue by examining environmental management on horse farms from both the perspective of the "expert" extension educator and horse farm operator. We conducted a Delphi survey and follow-up interviews with extension educators in Indiana and Kentucky. We also conducted interviews and farm assessments with 15 horse farm operators in the two states. Our results suggest a disconnection between the perceptions of extension educators and horse farm operators. Extension educators believed that operators of small horse farms are unfamiliar with conservation practices and their environmental benefits and they found it difficult to target outreach to this audience. In the interviews with horse farm operators, we found that the majority were somewhat familiar with conservation practices like rotational grazing, soil testing, heavy use area protection, and manure composting. It was not common, however, for practices to be implemented to generally recognized standards. The horse farm respondents perceived these practices as interrelated parts of a system of farm management that has developed over time to best deal with the physical features of the property, needs of the horses, and available resources. Because conservation practices must be incorporated into a complex farm management system, traditional models of extension (i.e., diffusion of innovations) may be inappropriate for promoting better environmental management on horse farms.

Targeting Erosion Control: Adoption of Erosion Control Practices. A Report from a National Research Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Peter; And Others

Research analyzed adoption of erosion control practices by farm operators in two counties in each of four states: Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, and Washington. Analysis was based on farm survey data and technical and financial assistance information from county Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service…

7 CFR 1468.22 - Conservation practice operation and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... operation and maintenance is occurring. (b) For those persons who are signatories to existing CRP or EQIP contracts, or WRP cost-share agreements, practices will be transferred from EQIP and CRP contracts or WRP... rights and obligations under CRP, EQIP, or WRP will be incorporated into the new CFO contract. Practices...

Practical implications of understanding the influence of motivations on commitment to voluntary urban conservation stewardship

Treesearch

Stanley T. Asah; Dale J. Blahna

2013-01-01

Although the word commitment is prevalent in conservation biology literature and despite the importance of people’s commitment to the success of conservation initiatives, commitment as a psychological phenomenon and its operation in specific conservation behaviors remains unexplored. Despite increasing calls for conservation psychology to play a greater role in meeting...

7 CFR 1466.21 - Contract requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., the participant must enter into a contract agreeing to implement one or more conservation practices. Technical services may be included in the contract. (b) An EQIP contract will: (1) Identify all conservation... agrees to assume all obligations, including operation and maintenance of the EQIP contract's conservation...

7 CFR 1466.21 - Contract requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., the participant must enter into a contract agreeing to implement one or more conservation practices. Technical services may be included in the contract. (b) An EQIP contract will: (1) Identify all conservation... agrees to assume all obligations, including operation and maintenance of the EQIP contract's conservation...

7 CFR 1466.21 - Contract requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., the participant must enter into a contract agreeing to implement one or more conservation practices. Technical services may be included in the contract. (b) An EQIP contract will: (1) Identify all conservation... agrees to assume all obligations, including operation and maintenance of the EQIP contract's conservation...

7 CFR 1466.21 - Contract requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., the participant must enter into a contract agreeing to implement one or more conservation practices. Technical services may be included in the contract. (b) An EQIP contract will: (1) Identify all conservation... agrees to assume all obligations, including operation and maintenance of the EQIP contract's conservation...

An Examination of Growing Trends in Land Tenure and Conservation Practice Adoption: Results from a Farmer Survey in Iowa.

PubMed

Varble, Sarah; Secchi, Silvia; Druschke, Caroline Gottschalk

2016-02-01

Tenants and part-owners are farming an increasing number of acres in the United States, while full-owners are farming fewer acres. This shift in ownership is a potential cause for concern because some previous research indicated that tenant and part-owner farmers were less likely to adopt conservation practices than farmers who owned the land they farmed. If that trend persists, ownership changes would signal a national drop in conservation adoption. Here we examine this issue using a survey of agricultural operators in the Clear Creek watershed in Iowa, a state with intensive agricultural production. We compare adoption of conservation practices, and preferences for conservation information sources and communication channels, between farmers who rent some portion of the land they farm (tenants and part-owners) and farmers who own all of the land they farm (full-owners). We find that renters are more likely to practice conservation tillage than full-owners, though they are less likely to rotate crops. In addition, renters report using federal government employees (specifically, Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency) as their primary sources of conservation information, while full-owners most frequently rely on neighbors, friends, and County Extension. These findings are significant for conservation policy because, unlike some past research, they indicate that renters are not resistant to all types of conservation practices, echoing recent studies finding an increase in conservation adoption among non-full-owners. Our results emphasize the importance of government conservation communication and can inform outreach efforts by helping tailor effective, targeted conservation strategies for owners and renters.

An Examination of Growing Trends in Land Tenure and Conservation Practice Adoption: Results from a Farmer Survey in Iowa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varble, Sarah; Secchi, Silvia; Druschke, Caroline Gottschalk

2016-02-01

Tenants and part-owners are farming an increasing number of acres in the United States, while full-owners are farming fewer acres. This shift in ownership is a potential cause for concern because some previous research indicated that tenant and part-owner farmers were less likely to adopt conservation practices than farmers who owned the land they farmed. If that trend persists, ownership changes would signal a national drop in conservation adoption. Here we examine this issue using a survey of agricultural operators in the Clear Creek watershed in Iowa, a state with intensive agricultural production. We compare adoption of conservation practices, and preferences for conservation information sources and communication channels, between farmers who rent some portion of the land they farm (tenants and part-owners) and farmers who own all of the land they farm (full-owners). We find that renters are more likely to practice conservation tillage than full-owners, though they are less likely to rotate crops. In addition, renters report using federal government employees (specifically, Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency) as their primary sources of conservation information, while full-owners most frequently rely on neighbors, friends, and County Extension. These findings are significant for conservation policy because, unlike some past research, they indicate that renters are not resistant to all types of conservation practices, echoing recent studies finding an increase in conservation adoption among non-full-owners. Our results emphasize the importance of government conservation communication and can inform outreach efforts by helping tailor effective, targeted conservation strategies for owners and renters.

43 CFR 417.2 - Consultation with contractors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROCEDURAL METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES... Regional Director of annual recommendations relating to water conservation measures and operating practices in the diversion, delivery, distribution and use of Colorado River water, and to the making by the...

43 CFR 417.2 - Consultation with contractors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROCEDURAL METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES... Regional Director of annual recommendations relating to water conservation measures and operating practices in the diversion, delivery, distribution and use of Colorado River water, and to the making by the...

43 CFR 417.2 - Consultation with contractors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROCEDURAL METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES... Regional Director of annual recommendations relating to water conservation measures and operating practices in the diversion, delivery, distribution and use of Colorado River water, and to the making by the...

43 CFR 417.2 - Consultation with contractors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROCEDURAL METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES... Regional Director of annual recommendations relating to water conservation measures and operating practices in the diversion, delivery, distribution and use of Colorado River water, and to the making by the...

43 CFR 417.2 - Consultation with contractors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROCEDURAL METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES... Regional Director of annual recommendations relating to water conservation measures and operating practices in the diversion, delivery, distribution and use of Colorado River water, and to the making by the...

Emerging conservation challenges and prospects in an era of offshore hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation.

PubMed

Kark, Salit; Brokovich, Eran; Mazor, Tessa; Levin, Noam

2015-12-01

Globally, extensive marine areas important for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functioning are undergoing exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas resources. Such operations are expanding to previously inaccessible deep waters and other frontier regions, while conservation-related legislation and planning is often lacking. Conservation challenges arising from offshore hydrocarbon development are wide-ranging. These challenges include threats to ecosystems and marine species from oil spills, negative impacts on native biodiversity from invasive species colonizing drilling infrastructure, and increased political conflicts that can delay conservation actions. With mounting offshore operations, conservationists need to urgently consider some possible opportunities that could be leveraged for conservation. Leveraging options, as part of multi-billion dollar marine hydrocarbon operations, include the use of facilities and costly equipment of the deep and ultra-deep hydrocarbon industry for deep-sea conservation research and monitoring and establishing new conservation research, practice, and monitoring funds and environmental offsetting schemes. The conservation community, including conservation scientists, should become more involved in the earliest planning and exploration phases and remain involved throughout the operations so as to influence decision making and promote continuous monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystems. A prompt response by conservation professionals to offshore oil and gas developments can mitigate impacts of future decisions and actions of the industry and governments. New environmental decision support tools can be used to explicitly incorporate the impacts of hydrocarbon operations on biodiversity into marine spatial and conservation plans and thus allow for optimum trade-offs among multiple objectives, costs, and risks. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

7 CFR 1465.22 - Conservation practice operation and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) during the contract duration to ensure that operation and maintenance requirements are being carried out... established in accordance with § 1465.23, provided such payments do not exceed the payment limitation...

Implementation of genetic conservation practices in a muskellunge propagation and stocking program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jennings, Martin J.; Sloss, Brian L.; Hatzenbeler, Gene R.; Kampa, Jeffrey M.; Simonson, Timothy D.; Avelallemant, Steven P.; Lindenberger, Gary A.; Underwood, Bruce D.

2010-01-01

Conservation of genetic resources is a challenging issue for agencies managing popular sport fishes. To address the ongoing potential for genetic risks, we developed a comprehensive set of recommendations to conserve genetic diversity of muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) in Wisconsin, and evaluated the extent to which the recommendations can be implemented. Although some details are specific to Wisconsin's muskellunge propagation program, many of the practical issues affecting implementation are applicable to other species and production systems. We developed guidelines to restrict future broodstock collection operations to lakes with natural reproduction and to develop a set of brood lakes to use on a rotational basis within regional stock boundaries, but implementation will require considering lakes with variable stocking histories. Maintaining an effective population size sufficient to minimize the risk of losing alleles requires limiting broodstock collection to large lakes. Recommendations to better approximate the temporal distribution of spawning in hatchery operations and randomize selection of brood fish are feasible. Guidelines to modify rearing and distribution procedures face some logistic constraints. An evaluation of genetic diversity of hatchery-produced fish during 2008 demonstrated variable success representing genetic variation of the source population. Continued evaluation of hatchery operations will optimize operational efficiency while moving toward genetic conservation goals.

Implementation of genetic conservation practices in a muskellunge propagation and stocking program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jennings, Martin J.; Sloss, Brian L.; Hatzenbeler, Gene R.; Kampa, Jeffrey M.; Simonson, Timothy D.; Avelallemant, Steven P.; Lindenberger, Gary A.; Underwood, Bruce D.

2010-01-01

Conservation of genetic resources is a challenging issue for agencies managing popular sport fishes. To address the ongoing potential for genetic risks, we developed a comprehensive set of recommendations to conserve genetic diversity of muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) in Wisconsin, and evaluated the extent to which the recommendations can be implemented. Although some details are specific to Wisconsin's muskellunge propagation program, many of the practical issues affecting implementation are applicable to other species and production systems. We developed guidelines to restrict future brood stock collection operations to lakes with natural reproduction and to develop a set of brood lakes to use on a rotational basis within regional stock boundaries, but implementation will require considering lakes with variable stocking histories. Maintaining an effective population size sufficient to minimize the risk of losing alleles requires limiting brood stock collection to large lakes. Recommendations to better approximate the temporal distribution of spawning in hatchery operations and randomize selection of brood fish are feasible. Guidelines to modify rearing and distribution procedures face some logistic constraints. An evaluation of genetic diversity of hatchery-produced fish during 2008 demonstrated variable success representing genetic variation of the source population. Continued evaluation of hatchery operations will optimize operational efficiency while moving toward genetic conservation goals.

7 CFR 1465.6 - AMA plan of operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false AMA plan of operations. 1465.6 Section 1465.6... OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE General Provisions § 1465.6 AMA plan of operations. (a) All conservation practices in the APO must be approved by...

43 CFR 417.5 - Duties of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs with respect to Indian reservations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES WITH LOWER BASIN CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS § 417.5 Duties... said Indian Reservations concerning water conservation measures and operating practices in the... water users on the Indian Reservations listed in Article II (D) of said Supreme Court Decree, similar to...

43 CFR 417.5 - Duties of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs with respect to Indian reservations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES WITH LOWER BASIN CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS § 417.5 Duties... said Indian Reservations concerning water conservation measures and operating practices in the... water users on the Indian Reservations listed in Article II (D) of said Supreme Court Decree, similar to...

43 CFR 417.5 - Duties of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs with respect to Indian reservations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES WITH LOWER BASIN CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS § 417.5 Duties... said Indian Reservations concerning water conservation measures and operating practices in the... water users on the Indian Reservations listed in Article II (D) of said Supreme Court Decree, similar to...

43 CFR 417.5 - Duties of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs with respect to Indian reservations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES WITH LOWER BASIN CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS § 417.5 Duties... said Indian Reservations concerning water conservation measures and operating practices in the... water users on the Indian Reservations listed in Article II (D) of said Supreme Court Decree, similar to...

43 CFR 417.5 - Duties of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs with respect to Indian reservations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES WITH LOWER BASIN CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS § 417.5 Duties... said Indian Reservations concerning water conservation measures and operating practices in the... water users on the Indian Reservations listed in Article II (D) of said Supreme Court Decree, similar to...

A National Evaluation of the Conservative Management of Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis: How Common Is This and What Are the Issues.

PubMed

Kelly, Michael E; Khan, Asif; Ur Rehman, Jameel; Waldron, Ronan M; Khan, Waqar; Barry, Kevin; Khan, Iqbal Z

2015-01-01

The management approach for acute appendicitis has been challenged in recent years, with numerous randomized controlled trials demonstrating that antibiotics/conservative management is an efficacious treatment, with lower complication rates. A national survey of all consultant general surgeons evaluating their practices was performed. Reasons for changed practices, choice of antibiotics and follow-up investigations were evaluated. In addition, the role of interval appendicectomy and conservative management in the pediatric population was also assessed. The response rate for this survey was 74.7% (n = 74/99). Over one-fifth (n = 17, 22.9%) routinely treat acute appendicitis conservatively, while another 14.8% (n = 11) consider this approach in selected cases. Main reasons for modified practices included the presence of inflammatory phlegmon (75%), delayed presentation (64%), and recent evidence-based medicine developments (46%). Co-amoxiclav/clavulanic acid was the most popular antibiotic for conservative management (53%). Alternatively, combinations of antibiotics were also utilized. One-third felt interval appendicectomy was warranted, while one-fifth supported conservative management in the paediatric setting. The overwhelming majority (>95%) advocate follow-up colonoscopy ± computed tomography in any patient aged >40 years managed conservatively. Considerable variation in management of uncomplicated appendicitis remains in Ireland despite growing evidence suggesting that the non-operative approach is safe. Reasons for adopting a conservative management practice have been identified and reflect the expanding literature on this subject. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

43 CFR 417.3 - Notice of recommendations and determinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... RECLAMATION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROCEDURAL METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION... raised, cropping practices, the type of irrigation system in use, the condition of water carriage and distribution facilities, record of water orders, and rejections of ordered water, general operating practices...

43 CFR 417.3 - Notice of recommendations and determinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... RECLAMATION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROCEDURAL METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION... raised, cropping practices, the type of irrigation system in use, the condition of water carriage and distribution facilities, record of water orders, and rejections of ordered water, general operating practices...

43 CFR 417.3 - Notice of recommendations and determinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... RECLAMATION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROCEDURAL METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING COLORADO RIVER WATER CONSERVATION... raised, cropping practices, the type of irrigation system in use, the condition of water carriage and distribution facilities, record of water orders, and rejections of ordered water, general operating practices...

Energy conservation awareness and practice in restaurants of Hennepin County, Minnesota.

PubMed

Brondum, Jack; Palchick, Susan

2012-12-01

Greenhouse gases result mainly from the combustion of fossil fuels in energy use. Restaurants use large amounts of energy in their operation but systematically gathered information about such use is lacking. Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department surveyed owners of licensed restaurants to assess their energy use and awareness of energy conservation measures. Of 434 owners surveyed, 276 (63.6%) returned completed surveys. Responses indicated that large pluralities or majorities of restaurant owners often were aware of energy-efficient methods of operation and the means to achieve greater efficiency but used such means much less frequently. For example, 57% of respondents were familiar with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program, but only 33% of this group actually used Energy Star appliances. Given the gap between awareness and practice, opportunities for consultation and outreach to restaurant owners about energy-efficient business operation are manifold.

Optimizing conservation practices in watersheds: Do community preferences matter?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piemonti, Adriana D.; Babbar-Sebens, Meghna; Jane Luzar, E.

2013-10-01

This paper focuses on investigating (a) how landowner tenure and attitudes of farming communities affect the preference of individual conservation practices in agricultural watersheds, (b) how spatial distribution of landowner tenure affects the spatial optimization of conservation practices on a watershed scale, and (c) how the different attitudes and preferences of stakeholders can modify the effectiveness of alternatives obtained via classic optimization approaches that do not include the influence of existing social attitudes in a watershed during the search process. Results show that for Eagle Creek Watershed in central Indiana, USA, the most optimal alternatives (i.e., highest benefits for minimum economic costs) are for a scenario when the watershed consists of landowners who operate as farmers on their own land. When a different land-tenure scenario was used for the watershed (e.g., share renters and cash renters), the optimized alternatives had similar nitrate reduction benefits and sediment reduction benefits, but at higher economic costs. Our experiments also demonstrated that social attitudes can lead to alteration of optimized alternatives found via typical optimization approaches. For example, when certain practices were rejected by landowner operators whose attitudes toward practices were driven by economic profits, removal of these practices from the optimized alternatives led to a setback of nitrates reduction by 2-50%, peak flow reductions by 11-98 %, and sediments reduction by 20-77%. In conclusion, this study reveals the potential loss in optimality of optimized alternatives possible, when socioeconomic data on farmer preferences and land tenure are not incorporated within watershed optimization investigations.

Assessment of A. I. D. environmental programs: Energy conservation in Pakistan. Technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Church, P.; Kumar, K.; Sowers, F.

1993-09-01

This report highlights a model of environmental management that appears to work in the current political and economic context of Pakistan. The model focuses on energy conservation. This evaluation examines how the U.S. Agency for International Development (A.I.D.) has assisted Pakistan in using market forces to promote the adoption of energy conservation practices and technologies. The central operating hypothesis of the evaluation is that the adoption of energy conservation practices and technologies responds to market incentives. The field study concludes that the Pakistani program of energy conservation activities, set in motion with A.I.D. support, cannot easily be reversed. With changesmore » in political and economic policies toward the environment in Pakistan, greater and more sustainable impact is possible. The experience of Pakistan energy conservation program raises three issues that merit careful examination both in the contexts of Pakistan's future program implementation and in other countries: The role of program subsidies; The role of nonproject assistance; and The involvement of nongovernmental organizations.« less

Particulate emissions calculations from fall tillage operations using point and remote sensors

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Preparation of soil for agricultural crops produces aerosols that may significantly contribute to seasonal atmospheric loadings of particulate matter (PM). Efforts to reduce PM emissions from tillage operations through a variety of conservation management practices (CMP) have been made but the reduc...

Development of the Land-use and Agricultural Management Practice web-Service (LAMPS) for generating crop rotations in space and time

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agroecosystem models and conservation planning tools require spatially and temporally explicit input data about agricultural management operations. The Land-use and Agricultural Management Practices web-Service (LAMPS) provides crop rotation and management information for user-specified areas within...

30 CFR 250.246 - What mineral resource conservation information must accompany the DPP or DOCD?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Plans and Information Contents of Development and Production Plans (dpp) and Development Operations... DPP or DOCD: (a) Technology and reservoir engineering practices and procedures. A description of the...

Ecological networks as conceptual frameworks or operational tools in conservation.

PubMed

Boitani, Luigi; Falcucci, Alessandra; Maiorano, Luigi; Rondinini, Carlo

2007-12-01

The establishment of ecological networks (ENs) has been proposed as an ideal way to counteract the increasing fragmentation of natural ecosystems and as a necessary complement to the establishment of protected areas for biodiversity conservation. This conservation tool, which comprises core areas, corridors, and buffer areas, has attracted the attention of several national and European institutions. It is thought that ENs can connect habitat patches and thus enable species to move across unsuitable areas. In Europe, however, ENs are proposed as an oversimplification of complex ecological concepts, and we maintain that they are of limited use for biodiversity conservation for several reasons. The ENs are species specific and operate on species-dependent scales. In addition, the information needed for their implementation is only available for a handful of species. To overcome these limitations, ENs have been proposed on a landscape scale (and for selected "focal" species), but there is no indication that the structural composition of core areas, corridors, and buffer areas could ensure the functional connectivity and improve the viability of more than a few species. The theory behind ENs fails to provide sufficient practical information on how to build them (e.g., width, shape, structure, content). In fact, no EN so far has been validated in practice (ensuring connectivity and increasing overall biodiversity conservation), and there are no signs that validation will be possible in the near future. In view of these limitations, it is difficult to justify spending economic and political resources on building systems that are at best working hypotheses that cannot be evaluated on a practical level.

Efficacy of Gastrografin® Compared with Standard Conservative Treatment in Management of Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction at Mulago National Referral Hospital

PubMed Central

Haule, Caspar; Ongom, Peter A; Kimuli, Timothy

2013-01-01

Introduction The treatment of adhesive small bowel obstruction is controversial, with both operative and non-operative management practiced in different centers worldwide. Non-operative management is increasingly getting popular, though operative rates still remain high. A study to compare the efficacy of an oral water-soluble medium (Gastrografin®) with standard conservative management, both non-operative methods, in the management of this condition was conducted in a tertiary Sub Saharan hospital. Methods An open randomised controlled clinical trial was conducted between September 2012 and March 2013 at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital, Uganda. Fifty patients of both genders, with adhesive small bowel obstruction, in the hospital’s emergency and general surgical wards were included. Randomisation was to Gastrografin® and standard conservative treatment groups. The primary outcomes were: the time interval between admission and relief of obstruction, the length of hospital stay, and the rates of operative surgery. Results All 50 recruited patients were followed up and analysed; 25 for each group. In the Gastrografin® group, 22 (88%) patients had relief of obstruction following the intervention, with 3 (12%) requiring surgery. The conservative treatment group had 16 (64%) patients relieved of obstruction conservatively, and 9 (36%) required surgery. The difference in operative rates between the two groups was not statistically significance (P = 0.67). Average time to relief of obstruction was shorter in the Gastrografin® group (72.52 hrs) compared to the conservative treatment group (117.75 hrs), a significant difference (P = 0.023). The average length of hospital stay was shorter in the Gastrografin® group (5.62 days) compared to the conservative treatment group (10.88 days), a significant difference (P = 0.04). Conclusion The use of Gastrografin® in patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction helps in earlier resolution of obstruction and reduces the length of hospital stay compared with standard conservative management. Its role in reducing the rate of laparotomies remains inconclusive. PMID:24729947

Efficacy of Gastrografin® Compared with Standard Conservative Treatment in Management of Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

PubMed

Haule, Caspar; Ongom, Peter A; Kimuli, Timothy

2013-12-01

The treatment of adhesive small bowel obstruction is controversial, with both operative and non-operative management practiced in different centers worldwide. Non-operative management is increasingly getting popular, though operative rates still remain high. A study to compare the efficacy of an oral water-soluble medium (Gastrografin ® ) with standard conservative management, both non-operative methods, in the management of this condition was conducted in a tertiary Sub Saharan hospital. An open randomised controlled clinical trial was conducted between September 2012 and March 2013 at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital, Uganda. Fifty patients of both genders, with adhesive small bowel obstruction, in the hospital's emergency and general surgical wards were included. Randomisation was to Gastrografin ® and standard conservative treatment groups. The primary outcomes were: the time interval between admission and relief of obstruction, the length of hospital stay, and the rates of operative surgery. All 50 recruited patients were followed up and analysed; 25 for each group. In the Gastrografin ® group, 22 (88%) patients had relief of obstruction following the intervention, with 3 (12%) requiring surgery. The conservative treatment group had 16 (64%) patients relieved of obstruction conservatively, and 9 (36%) required surgery. The difference in operative rates between the two groups was not statistically significance ( P = 0.67 ). Average time to relief of obstruction was shorter in the Gastrografin ® group (72.52 hrs) compared to the conservative treatment group (117.75 hrs), a significant difference ( P = 0.023 ). The average length of hospital stay was shorter in the Gastrografin ® group (5.62 days) compared to the conservative treatment group (10.88 days), a significant difference ( P = 0.04 ). The use of Gastrografin ® in patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction helps in earlier resolution of obstruction and reduces the length of hospital stay compared with standard conservative management. Its role in reducing the rate of laparotomies remains inconclusive.

Energy Conservation in Our Schools--A Practical Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewin, C. Edwin; Racich, Matthew J.

A practical approach designed to reduce energy waste by schools is to improve the knowledge and upgrade the skills of school building custodians. This paper discusses an operation and maintenance training program for custodians developed by the Will County (Illinois) educational service region. The major parts of the program consist of skill…

Bus Propulsion Alternatives Overview

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-04-01

The Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) is currently investigating propulsion alternatives which would conserve petroleum-based fuels and would be practical for use by U.S. transit operators. A discussion of these alternatives (electric p...

Should biodiversity and nature have to earn their keep? What it really means to bring environmental goods into the marketplace.

PubMed

Maier, Donald S

2018-05-01

Pursuit of economic gain has sponsored much of our planet's despoliation. Yet conservation increasingly operates as an economic sector that markets biodiversity, ecosystems, and nature as natural capital, service provider, or option value. This essay first elucidates what basic moral theory says about the principle that the goodness of biodiversity and nature is largely economic. It explains why economic valuations may be morally unimportant, inapt for environmental goods, and subversive of more important ideals. It also shows why neither econometric notions of option value nor Daniel Faith's qualitative one credibly applies. The essay then turns to what an economic conception of goodness implies for conservation practice. It refers to two prominent conservation organizations, whose conservation principles match the market-based ones of the World Business Council on Sustainable Development's. The environmental record of the latter organization's practices according to these principles predicts what their adoption for conservation entails.

Reliable aerial thermography for energy conservation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jack, J. R.; Bowman, R. L.

1981-01-01

A method for energy conservation, the aerial thermography survey, is discussed. It locates sources of energy losses and wasteful energy management practices. An operational map is presented for clear sky conditions. The map outlines the key environmental conditions conductive to obtaining reliable aerial thermography. The map is developed from defined visual and heat loss discrimination criteria which are quantized based on flat roof heat transfer calculations.

Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) links biodiversity conservation with sustainable improvements in livelihoods and food production

PubMed Central

Lewis, Dale; Bell, Samuel D.; Fay, John; Bothi, Kim L.; Gatere, Lydiah; Kabila, Makando; Mukamba, Mwangala; Matokwani, Edwin; Mushimbalume, Matthews; Moraru, Carmen I.; Lehmann, Johannes; Lassoie, James; Wolfe, David; Lee, David R.; Buck, Louise; Travis, Alexander J.

2011-01-01

In the Luangwa Valley, Zambia, persistent poverty and hunger present linked challenges to rural development and biodiversity conservation. Both household coping strategies and larger-scale economic development efforts have caused severe natural resource degradation that limits future economic opportunities and endangers ecosystem services. A model based on a business infrastructure has been developed to promote and maintain sustainable agricultural and natural resource management practices, leading to direct and indirect conservation outcomes. The Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) model operates primarily with communities surrounding national parks, strengthening conservation benefits produced by these protected areas. COMACO first identifies the least food-secure households and trains them in sustainable agricultural practices that minimize threats to natural resources while meeting household needs. In addition, COMACO identifies people responsible for severe natural resource depletion and trains them to generate alternative income sources. In an effort to maintain compliance with these practices, COMACO provides extension support and access to high-value markets that would otherwise be inaccessible to participants. Because the model is continually evolving via adaptive management, success or failure of the model as a whole is difficult to quantify at this early stage. We therefore test specific hypotheses and present data documenting the stabilization of previously declining wildlife populations; the meeting of thresholds of productivity that give COMACO access to stable, high-value markets and progress toward economic self-sufficiency; and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by participants and other community members. Together, these findings describe a unique, business-oriented model for poverty alleviation, food production, and biodiversity conservation. PMID:21873184

Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) links biodiversity conservation with sustainable improvements in livelihoods and food production.

PubMed

Lewis, Dale; Bell, Samuel D; Fay, John; Bothi, Kim L; Gatere, Lydiah; Kabila, Makando; Mukamba, Mwangala; Matokwani, Edwin; Mushimbalume, Matthews; Moraru, Carmen I; Lehmann, Johannes; Lassoie, James; Wolfe, David; Lee, David R; Buck, Louise; Travis, Alexander J

2011-08-23

In the Luangwa Valley, Zambia, persistent poverty and hunger present linked challenges to rural development and biodiversity conservation. Both household coping strategies and larger-scale economic development efforts have caused severe natural resource degradation that limits future economic opportunities and endangers ecosystem services. A model based on a business infrastructure has been developed to promote and maintain sustainable agricultural and natural resource management practices, leading to direct and indirect conservation outcomes. The Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) model operates primarily with communities surrounding national parks, strengthening conservation benefits produced by these protected areas. COMACO first identifies the least food-secure households and trains them in sustainable agricultural practices that minimize threats to natural resources while meeting household needs. In addition, COMACO identifies people responsible for severe natural resource depletion and trains them to generate alternative income sources. In an effort to maintain compliance with these practices, COMACO provides extension support and access to high-value markets that would otherwise be inaccessible to participants. Because the model is continually evolving via adaptive management, success or failure of the model as a whole is difficult to quantify at this early stage. We therefore test specific hypotheses and present data documenting the stabilization of previously declining wildlife populations; the meeting of thresholds of productivity that give COMACO access to stable, high-value markets and progress toward economic self-sufficiency; and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by participants and other community members. Together, these findings describe a unique, business-oriented model for poverty alleviation, food production, and biodiversity conservation.

Integrating ecological knowledge, public perception and urgency of action into invasive species management.

PubMed

Caplat, Paul; Coutts, Shaun R

2011-11-01

Recently Prévot-Julliard and colleagues presented a concept paper on biological conservation strategies using exotic species as a case study. They emphasized the difficulty of integrating conservation into a broad picture that accounts for public perception as well as scientific knowledge. We support this general call for better integration of society in conservation research, but we believe that the original framework might misguide conservation practices if wrongly interpreted. Our objective is to complement their paper and correct a few misleading points, by showing that (1) for regions of high endemicity "reservation" may be the best conservation practice, and does not prevent public participation, (2) aiming for broad societal agreement is valuable, but in some cases risky, and always complex, and (3) calling a harmful invasive species harmful shouldn't be an issue. The Australian context provides us with many cases of the labeling of exotic species as harmful or not, using inputs from scientists, industry, and the public. Integration of social and scientific points of view can only improve conservation on the ground if it allows managers to use the ecological, economic and social impacts of exotic species to prioritize conservation actions in an operative way.

Integrating Ecological Knowledge, Public Perception and Urgency of Action into Invasive Species Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caplat, Paul; Coutts, Shaun R.

2011-11-01

Recently Prévot-Julliard and colleagues presented a concept paper on biological conservation strategies using exotic species as a case study. They emphasized the difficulty of integrating conservation into a broad picture that accounts for public perception as well as scientific knowledge. We support this general call for better integration of society in conservation research, but we believe that the original framework might misguide conservation practices if wrongly interpreted. Our objective is to complement their paper and correct a few misleading points, by showing that (1) for regions of high endemicity "reservation" may be the best conservation practice, and does not prevent public participation, (2) aiming for broad societal agreement is valuable, but in some cases risky, and always complex, and (3) calling a harmful invasive species harmful shouldn't be an issue. The Australian context provides us with many cases of the labeling of exotic species as harmful or not, using inputs from scientists, industry, and the public. Integration of social and scientific points of view can only improve conservation on the ground if it allows managers to use the ecological, economic and social impacts of exotic species to prioritize conservation actions in an operative way.

The Chicago to Iowa City intercity passenger rail route : business plan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-03-21

Business Plan Highlights : -No Iowa General Fund or RIIF appropriations : -State/local partnership : -Funds operation for the first 10 years : -Local cash commitment to passenger rail : -Conservative and practical financial forecasts : -Three compone...

7 CFR 1466.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM General Provisions... promote agricultural production, forest management, and environmental quality as compatible goals, and to... program are achieved by planning and implementing conservation practices on eligible land. (b) EQIP is...

7 CFR 1466.1 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM General Provisions... promote agricultural production, forest management, and environmental quality as compatible goals, and to... program are achieved by planning and implementing conservation practices on eligible land. (b) EQIP is...

30 CFR 250.298 - How long will MMS take to evaluate and make a decision on the CID?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR OPERATIONS IN THE... economically producible reservoirs according to sound conservation, engineering, and economic practices. ...

Practical implications of understanding the influence of motivations on commitment to voluntary urban conservation stewardship.

PubMed

Asah, Stanley T; Blahna, Dale J

2013-08-01

Although the word commitment is prevalent in conservation biology literature and despite the importance of people's commitment to the success of conservation initiatives, commitment as a psychological phenomenon and its operation in specific conservation behaviors remains unexplored. Despite increasing calls for conservation psychology to play a greater role in meeting conservation goals, applications of the psychological sciences to specific conservation behaviors, illustrating their utility to conservation practice, are rare. We examined conservation volunteers' motivations and commitment to urban conservation volunteering. We interviewed key informant volunteers and used interview findings to develop psychometric scales that we used to assess motivations and commitment to volunteer. We surveyed 322 urban conservation volunteers and used factor analysis to reveal how volunteers structure their motivations and commitment to volunteer for urban conservation activities. Six categories of motivations and 2 categories of commitment emerged from factor analysis. Volunteers were motivated by desires to help the environment, defend and enhance the ego, career and learning opportunities, escape and exercise, social interactions, and community building. Two forms of commitment, affective and normative commitment, psychologically bind people to urban conservation volunteerism. We used linear-regression models to examine how these categories of motivations influence volunteers' commitment to conservation volunteerism. Volunteers' tendency to continue to volunteer for urban conservation, even in the face of fluctuating counter urges, was motivated by personal, social, and community functions more than environmental motivations. The environment, otherwise marginally important, was a significant motivator of volunteers' commitment only when volunteering met volunteers' personal, social, and community-building goals. Attention to these personal, social, and community-building motivations may help enhance volunteers' commitment to conservation stewardship and address the pressing challenge of retaining urban conservation volunteers. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Atmospheric LiDAR coupled with point measurement air quality samplers to measure fineparticulate matter (PM) emissions from agricultural operations. Part 2 of the California 2007 - 2008 Tillage Campaigns: Spring 2008 Data Analysis

EPA Science Inventory

Concern with health effects resulting from PM10 exposure is drawing increased regulatory scrutiny and research toward local agricultural tillage operations. To investigate the control effectiveness of one of the current Conservation Management Practices (CMPs) written for agricul...

Effect of land tenure and stakeholders attitudes on optimization of conservation practices in agricultural watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piemonti, A. D.; Babbar-Sebens, M.; Luzar, E. J.

2012-12-01

Modeled watershed management plans have become valuable tools for evaluating the effectiveness and impacts of conservation practices on hydrologic processes in watersheds. In multi-objective optimization approaches, several studies have focused on maximizing physical, ecological, or economic benefits of practices in a specific location, without considering the relationship between social systems and social attitudes on the overall optimality of the practice at that location. For example, objectives that have been commonly used in spatial optimization of practices are economic costs, sediment loads, nutrient loads and pesticide loads. Though the benefits derived from these objectives are generally oriented towards community preferences, they do not represent attitudes of landowners who might operate their land differently than their neighbors (e.g. farm their own land or rent the land to someone else) and might have different social/personal drivers that motivate them to adopt the practices. In addition, a distribution of such landowners could exist in the watershed, leading to spatially varying preferences to practices. In this study we evaluated the effect of three different land tenure types on the spatial-optimization of conservation practices. To perform the optimization, we used a uniform distribution of land tenure type and a spatially varying distribution of land tenure type. Our results show that for a typical Midwestern agricultural watershed, the most optimal solutions (i.e. highest benefits for minimum economic costs) found were for a uniform distribution of landowners who operate their own land. When a different land-tenure was used for the watershed, the optimized alternatives did not change significantly for nitrates reduction benefits and sediment reduction benefits, but were attained at economic costs much higher than the costs of the landowner who farms her/his own land. For example, landowners who rent to cash-renters would have to spend ~120% higher costs than landowners who operate their own land, to attain the same benefits. We also tested the effect of different social attitudes on the final preferences of the optimized alternatives and its consequences over the total effectiveness of the standard optimization approaches. The results suggest that, for example, when practices were removed from the system due to landowners' attitudes driven by economic profits, then the modified alternatives experienced a decrease in nitrates reduction by 2-50%, and decrease in peak flow reductions by 11-98 %, and decrease in sediments reduction by 20-77%.

Integrating Agriculture and Conservation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vandever, Mark W.

2010-01-01

The USGS produces the needed science-based information to guide management actions and policy decisions that support wildlife habitat and other environmental services compatible with USDA conservation goals and farm operations. The Policy Analysis and Science Assistance Branch of the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) has conducted research involving a national landowner survey and numerous short- and long-term evaluations regarding vegetation responses to land management practices. This research helps land and resource managers to make informed decisions and resolve resource management conflicts.

7 CFR 1466.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... a contract, and which is operated by the producer with equipment, labor, management, and production... management facility means a structural conservation practice, implemented in the context of a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan and consistent with the Field Office Technical Guide, which is used for storing...

7 CFR 1466.10 - Conservation practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... practice implementation. (c) A participant will be eligible for payments for water conservation and... 7 Agriculture 10 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Conservation practices. 1466.10 Section 1466.10... Contracts and Payments § 1466.10 Conservation practices. (a) NRCS will determine the conservation practices...

7 CFR 1466.10 - Conservation practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... practice implementation. (c) A participant will be eligible for payments for water conservation and... 7 Agriculture 10 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Conservation practices. 1466.10 Section 1466.10... Contracts and Payments § 1466.10 Conservation practices. (a) NRCS will determine the conservation practices...

7 CFR 1466.10 - Conservation practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... practice implementation. (c) A participant will be eligible for payments for water conservation and... 7 Agriculture 10 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Conservation practices. 1466.10 Section 1466.10... Contracts and Payments § 1466.10 Conservation practices. (a) NRCS will determine the conservation practices...

USDA/federal user of LANDSAT remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, R.

1981-01-01

Developed and potential uses of remote sensing in crop condition and acreage assessment, renewable resources inventories, conservation practices, and water and forest management applications are described. Operational approaches, the adaptation of procedures to needs, and the agency's concern about data continuity and cost are discussed as well as support for future technology development for enhanced sensing capability. The use of improved camera systems for soil mapping and conservation monitoring from space shuttle, and of aerospace radar to improve soil moisture monitoring are mentioned.

Spatial multiobjective optimization of agricultural conservation practices using a SWAT model and an evolutionary algorithm.

PubMed

Rabotyagov, Sergey; Campbell, Todd; Valcu, Adriana; Gassman, Philip; Jha, Manoj; Schilling, Keith; Wolter, Calvin; Kling, Catherine

2012-12-09

Finding the cost-efficient (i.e., lowest-cost) ways of targeting conservation practice investments for the achievement of specific water quality goals across the landscape is of primary importance in watershed management. Traditional economics methods of finding the lowest-cost solution in the watershed context (e.g.,(5,12,20)) assume that off-site impacts can be accurately described as a proportion of on-site pollution generated. Such approaches are unlikely to be representative of the actual pollution process in a watershed, where the impacts of polluting sources are often determined by complex biophysical processes. The use of modern physically-based, spatially distributed hydrologic simulation models allows for a greater degree of realism in terms of process representation but requires a development of a simulation-optimization framework where the model becomes an integral part of optimization. Evolutionary algorithms appear to be a particularly useful optimization tool, able to deal with the combinatorial nature of a watershed simulation-optimization problem and allowing the use of the full water quality model. Evolutionary algorithms treat a particular spatial allocation of conservation practices in a watershed as a candidate solution and utilize sets (populations) of candidate solutions iteratively applying stochastic operators of selection, recombination, and mutation to find improvements with respect to the optimization objectives. The optimization objectives in this case are to minimize nonpoint-source pollution in the watershed, simultaneously minimizing the cost of conservation practices. A recent and expanding set of research is attempting to use similar methods and integrates water quality models with broadly defined evolutionary optimization methods(3,4,9,10,13-15,17-19,22,23,25). In this application, we demonstrate a program which follows Rabotyagov et al.'s approach and integrates a modern and commonly used SWAT water quality model(7) with a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm SPEA2(26), and user-specified set of conservation practices and their costs to search for the complete tradeoff frontiers between costs of conservation practices and user-specified water quality objectives. The frontiers quantify the tradeoffs faced by the watershed managers by presenting the full range of costs associated with various water quality improvement goals. The program allows for a selection of watershed configurations achieving specified water quality improvement goals and a production of maps of optimized placement of conservation practices.

Study on the Strategies for the Soil and Water Resource Con-servation of Slopeland in Taiwan in Response to the Extreme Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wen-Cheng

2014-05-01

Global climate change results in extreme weather, especially ex-treme precipitation in Taiwan. Though the total amount of precipi-tation remains unchanged, the frequency of rainfall return period increases which affects slopeland and causes sediment disaster. In Taiwan, slopeland occupies about 73% of national territory. Under harsh environmental stress, soil and water conservation of slope-land becomes more important. In response to the trends of global-ization impacts of climate change, long term strategic planning be-comes more necessary. This study reviewed international practices and decision making process about soil and water conservation of slopeland; and conducted the compilation and analysis of water and soil conservation related research projects in Taiwan within the past five years. It is necessary for Taiwan to design timely adaptive strategies about conducting the all-inclusive conservation of na-tional territory, management and business operation of watershed based on the existing regulation with the effects of extreme weather induced by climate change and the changes of social-economic en-vironments. In order to realize the policy vision of "Under the premise of multiple uses, operating the sustainable business and management of the water and soil resources in the watershed through territorial planning in response to the climate and so-cial-economic environment change". This study concluded the future tasks for soil and water con-servation: 1.Design and timely amend strategies for soil and wand water conservation in response to extreme weather. 2. Strengthen the planning and operating of the land management and integrated conservation of the water and soil resources of key watershed. 3. Manage and operate the prevention of debris flow disaster and large-scale landslide. 4. Formulate polices, related regulations and assessment indicators of soil and water conservation. 5. Maintain the biodiversity of the slopeland and reduce the ecological footprint. 6. Conduct soil and water conservation research according to the importance and urgency of policies. 7. Implement the international cooperation, technology communication, talent cultivation, and integrated education and promotion.

Integration of ecological-biological thresholds in conservation decision making.

PubMed

Mavrommati, Georgia; Bithas, Kostas; Borsuk, Mark E; Howarth, Richard B

2016-12-01

In the Anthropocene, coupled human and natural systems dominate and only a few natural systems remain relatively unaffected by human influence. On the one hand, conservation criteria based on areas of minimal human impact are not relevant to much of the biosphere. On the other hand, conservation criteria based on economic factors are problematic with respect to their ability to arrive at operational indicators of well-being that can be applied in practice over multiple generations. Coupled human and natural systems are subject to economic development which, under current management structures, tends to affect natural systems and cross planetary boundaries. Hence, designing and applying conservation criteria applicable in real-world systems where human and natural systems need to interact and sustainably coexist is essential. By recognizing the criticality of satisfying basic needs as well as the great uncertainty over the needs and preferences of future generations, we sought to incorporate conservation criteria based on minimal human impact into economic evaluation. These criteria require the conservation of environmental conditions such that the opportunity for intergenerational welfare optimization is maintained. Toward this end, we propose the integration of ecological-biological thresholds into decision making and use as an example the planetary-boundaries approach. Both conservation scientists and economists must be involved in defining operational ecological-biological thresholds that can be incorporated into economic thinking and reflect the objectives of conservation, sustainability, and intergenerational welfare optimization. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

25 CFR 166.315 - Who is responsible for the completion and maintenance of a conservation practice if the permit...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... a conservation practice if the permit expires or is canceled before the completion of the... expires or is canceled before the completion of the conservation practice? Prior to undertaking a... conservation practice if the permit expires or is canceled before the conservation practice is completed. That...

Rangeland Brush Estimation Toolbox (RaBET): An Approach for Evaluating Brush Management Conservation Efforts in Western Grazing Lands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holifield Collins, C.; Kautz, M. A.; Skirvin, S. M.; Metz, L. J.

2016-12-01

There are over 180 million hectares of rangelands and grazed forests in the central and western United States. Due to the loss of perennial grasses and subsequent increased runoff and erosion that can degrade the system, woody cover species cannot be allowed to proliferate unchecked. The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has allocated extensive resources to employ brush management (removal) as a conservation practice to control woody species encroachment. The Rangeland-Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) has been tasked with determining how effective the practice has been, however their land managers lack a cost-effective means to conduct these assessments at the necessary scale. An ArcGIS toolbox for generating large-scale, Landsat-based, spatial maps of woody cover on grazing lands in the western United States was developed through a collaboration with NRCS Rangeland-CEAP. The toolbox contains two main components of operation, image generation and temporal analysis, and utilizes simple interfaces requiring minimum user inputs. The image generation tool utilizes geographically specific algorithms developed from combining moderate-resolution (30-m) Landsat imagery and high-resolution (1-m) National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) aerial photography to produce the woody cover scenes at the Major Land Resource (MLRA) scale. The temporal analysis tool can be used on these scenes to assess treatment effectiveness and monitor woody cover reemergence. RaBET provides rangeland managers an operational, inexpensive decision support tool to aid in the application of brush removal treatments and assessing their effectiveness.

75 FR 4525 - Notice of Proposed Changes to the National Handbook of Conservation Practices for the Natural...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-28

... National Handbook of Conservation Practices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service AGENCY: Natural... National Handbook of Conservation Practices for public review and comment. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given... Handbook of Conservation Practices. These standards include: Air Filtration and Scrubbing (Code 371...

7 CFR 12.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... conservation technology, and the standards and guidelines contained in the NRCS field office technical guides... field if farming practices make it probable that the croplines are not subject to change. Any highly... farming operations on the farm during the crop year. Owner means a person who is determined to have legal...

7 CFR 12.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... conservation technology, and the standards and guidelines contained in the NRCS field office technical guides... field if farming practices make it probable that the croplines are not subject to change. Any highly... farming operations on the farm during the crop year. Owner means a person who is determined to have legal...

7 CFR 12.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... conservation technology, and the standards and guidelines contained in the NRCS field office technical guides... field if farming practices make it probable that the croplines are not subject to change. Any highly... farming operations on the farm during the crop year. Owner means a person who is determined to have legal...

Demonstration-Based Education Generates Behavior Change Related to Conservation Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smart, Alexander J.; Bauman, Peter J.; Boltz, Stan; Hemenway, Jeff

2017-01-01

Getting agricultural producers to make changes to their operations is difficult, especially related to complex systems such as the water cycle on managed agricultural lands. We surveyed participants who had watched a rainfall simulator demonstration during the summer of 2015. Results indicate that the demonstration was effective in providing…

25 CFR 166.213 - Must I comply with any standards of conduct if I am granted a permit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... grazing operations in accordance with the principles of sustained yield management, agricultural resource management planning, sound conservation practices, and other community goals as expressed in tribal laws, agricultural resource management plans, and similar sources. (b) Comply with all applicable laws, ordinances...

25 CFR 161.308 - Must a permittee comply with standards of conduct if granted a permit?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... grazing operations in accordance with the principles of sustained yield management, agricultural resource management planning, sound conservation practices, and other community goals as expressed in Navajo Nation laws, agricultural resource management plans, and similar sources. (b) Comply with all applicable laws...

7 CFR 1469.8 - Conservation practices and activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Conservation practices and activities. 1469.8 Section... General Provisions § 1469.8 Conservation practices and activities. (a) Conservation practice and activity selection. (1) The Chief will provide a list of structural and land management practices and activities...

Adoptable Afghan Customs or Practices in a Military Operations Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-21

operations. Living with locals The second aspect of Afghan culture that counterinsurgents should adopt is the Afghan lifestyle , for example, by...against the Soviets as a driver and noted that, ―far more important for our safety if we encountered Taliban fighters or sympathizers was the four...inch beard worn by our driver Zalmay. Our interpreter referred to his magnificent barb as our ‗passport‘ to travel outside Kabul. Most conservative

Slow reaction of soil structure to conservation agriculture practices in Veneto silty soils (North-Easter Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piccoli, Ilaria; Camarotto, Carlo; Lazzaro, Barbara; Furlan, Lorenzo; Morari, Francesco

2017-04-01

Soil structure plays a pivotal role in soil functioning and can inform of the degradation of the soil ecosystem. Intensive and repeated tillage operations have been known to negatively affect the soil structure characteristics while conservation agriculture (CA) practices were demonstrated to improve soil structure and related ecosystem services. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of conservation agriculture practices on total porosity, pore size distribution, pore architecture and morphology on silty soils of Veneto low-lying plain (North-Eastern Italy). Experimental design was established in 2010 on 4 farms in North-Eastern Italy to compare conventional intensive tillage system "IT" versus conservation agriculture "CA" (no-tillage, cover-crop and residue retention). 96 samples were collected in 2015 at four depths down to 50 cm depth, and investigated for porosity from micro to macro by coupling mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) (0.0074-100 µm) and x-ray computed microtomography (µCT) (>26 µm). Pore morphology and architecture were studied from 3D images analysis and MIP pore size curve. Ultramicroporosity class (0.1-5 μm) positively responded to CA after 5-yr of practices adoption while no significant effects were observed in the x-ray µCT domain (> 26 µm). Silty soils of Veneto plain showed a slow reaction to conservation agriculture because of the low soil organic carbon content and poor aggregate stability. Nevertheless the positive influence of CA on ultramicroporosity, which is strictly linked to soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization, indicated that a virtuous cycle was initiated between SOC and porosity, hopefully leading to well-developed macropore systems and, in turn, enhanced soil functions and ecosystem services.

Conservation and the Antarctic environment: the working group reports of the joint IUCN/SCAR symposium on the scientific requirements for Antarctic conservation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonner, W.N.; Angel, M.V.

1987-01-01

Six working groups were set up at the joint IUCN/SCAR Symposium on the scientific requirements for Antarctic conservation. These were charged with (i) identifying gaps in the scientific understanding of ecosystems that inhibit rational management, and (ii) considering whether present conservation practices were taking enough account of what is known of the region, particularly with regard to protected areas. There is still a need for synthesis and further work on stocks and the life history of krill in the pelagic ecosystem. Studies of crabeater seals deserve priority. The network of existing protected areas is inadequate for preserving all species ofmore » birds, seals and whales; new criteria are needed for effective conservation. On land, the Agreed Measures provide an adequate framework for conservation, though additional steps are needed to ensure adherence to their provisions. Selection criteria are deficient and additional measures are required. Commercial mineral exploitation in the Antarctic is a long way in the future but exploitation could result from political motives. There is a need for a data base for the design of investigations and impact assessment. Operational hazards need to be modelled in advance. The relevance of existing drilling technology (both for mining and for deep stratographical information) onshore and offshore, and the applicability of Arctic experience to future operations in the Antarctic need to be assessed. Operational hazards, such as icebergs, pressures encountered while drilling, well blow-outs, and oil spills, need to the anticipated and modelled in advance.« less

Balancing the Needs of China's Wetland Conservation and Rice Production.

PubMed

Chen, Hongjun; Wang, Guoping; Lu, Xianguo; Jiang, Ming; Mendelssohn, Irving A

2015-06-02

China's rice policy for protecting paddy fields and constructing rice production bases is in conflict with its wetland conservation strategy. The policy will increase the rice planting area, the loss of remaining wetlands, and environmental pollution, with intensive application of fertilizers and heavy use of pesticides. The key to resolving this conflict is to bring rice production in compliance with wetland conservation and sustainable agriculture. An operational, sound regulatory program is needed to improve China's wetland conservation. Using wetland conservation in the US as an example, we argue that more effective technical guidelines for wetland inventory and monitoring are necessary to support the implementation of the regulatory program. Agricultural conservation programs are also needed to stop further wetland loss from agricultural usages. An ecoagricultural strategy and practice should be adopted for rice production to reduce pollution and loss of remaining wetlands. Agroecological engineering tools can be used to reduce the impacts of nutrient- and pesticide-enriched agricultural runoff to wetlands.

A Conservation Ethic and the Collecting of Animals by Institutions of Natural Heritage in the Twenty-First Century: Case Study of the Australian Museum

PubMed Central

Ikin, Timothy

2011-01-01

Simple Summary It is a core task of collecting institutions like museums to take examples of animals and preserve them as specimens in collections. In the twenty-first century, museums are equally the places where research is conducted and education is promoted in the service of conservation of animals in an era of the decline of biodiversity. In this paper, the balance of co-operation between collecting of animals by museums and the promotion and scientific pursuit of conservation of fauna in those museums is considered. As a “challenge” to museum science, it is considered in the context of Australia's oldest museum, and its policy and practice in the current century. Abstract Collecting of animals from their habitats for preservation by museums and related bodies is a core operation of such institutions. Conservation of biodiversity in the current era is a priority in the scientific agendas of museums of natural heritage in Australia and the world. Intuitively, to take animals from the wild, while engaged in scientific or other practices that are supposed to promote their ongoing survival, may appear be incompatible. The Australian Museum presents an interesting ground to consider zoological collecting by museums in the twenty-first century. Anderson and Reeves in 1994 argued that a milieu existed that undervalued native species, and that the role of natural history museums, up to as late as the mid-twentieth century, was only to make a record the faunal diversity of Australia, which would inevitably be extinct. Despite the latter, conservation of Australia's faunal diversity is a key aspect of research programmes in Australia's institutions of natural heritage in the current era. This paper analyses collecting of animals, a core task for institutions of natural heritage, and how this interacts with a professed “conservation ethic” in a twenty-first century Australian setting. PMID:26486222

Soil and water conservation in the Pacific Northwest through no-tillage and intensified crop rotations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) summer fallow rotation typically practiced in the intermediate precipitation zone [300-450 mm (12-18 in)] of the inland Pacific Northwest has proven to be economically stable for producers in this region. However multiple tillage operations are used to control...

25 CFR 166.316 - Can a permittee construct improvements on permitted Indian land?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Can a permittee construct improvements on permitted Indian land? 166.316 Section 166.316 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER GRAZING PERMITS Land and Operations Management Conservation Practices and Improvements § 166...

Best Practices in the Navy’s Energy Programs Strategic Communication Factors Operating in the Tactical Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

Management Pilot Project.” NRSW E -Notes, No. 132, January 30, 2008. http://secnavportal.donhq.navy.mil/ portal /server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_2426...CONSERVATION.........................................................................................52 E . MATERIAL AND SOCIAL INCENTIVES IMPACT BEHAVIOR...73 E . SUPPORT AN INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION PROCESS...........75 VI. METHODS

Recent Practices in Teaching Writing: A Critical Examination of Junior and Senior High School Composition Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koops, John Bernard

A review of research and literature in the teaching of writing suggests two divergent forces operating simultaneously. First, the conservative tradition perpetuates the national mania for correctness and reverence for standard English. Second, a wide range of theoretical approaches proliferates through professional journal articles and books. To…

AmeriFlux US-Ne1 Mead - irrigated continuous maize site

DOE Data Explorer

Suyker, Andy [University of Nebraska - Lincoln

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Ne1 Mead - irrigated continuous maize site. Site Description - The study site is one of three fields (all located within 1.6 km of each other) at the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead, Nebraska. This site is irrigated with a center pivot system. Prior to the initiation of the study, the irrigated site had a 10-yr history of maize-soybean rotation under no-till. A tillage operation (disking) was done just prior to the 2001 planting to homogenize the top 0.1 m of soil, incorporate P and K fertilizers, as well as previously accumulated surface residues. Since the tillage operation, the site has been under no-till management until the harvest of 2005. Following harvest, a conservation-plow tillage operation was initiated where a small amount of N fertilizer is sprayed on the residue immediately prior to the plow operation. Approximately 1/3 of the crop residue is left on the surface. The post-harvest conservation-plow operation continues as the current practice.

Exploring Institutional Mechanisms for Scientific Input into the Management Cycle of the National Protected Area Network of Peru: Gaps and Opportunities.

PubMed

López-Rodríguez, M D; Castro, H; Arenas, M; Requena-Mullor, J M; Cano, A; Valenzuela, E; Cabello, J

2017-12-01

Understanding how to improve decision makers' use of scientific information across their different scales of management is a core challenge for narrowing the gap between science and conservation practice. Here, we present a study conducted in collaboration with decision makers that aims to explore the functionality of the mechanisms for scientific input within the institutional setting of the National Protected Area Network of Peru. First, we analyzed institutional mechanisms to assess the scientific information recorded by decision makers. Second, we developed two workshops involving scientists, decision makers and social actors to identify barriers to evidence-based conservation practice. Third, we administered 482 questionnaires to stakeholders to explore social perceptions of the role of science and the willingness to collaborate in the governance of protected areas. The results revealed that (1) the institutional mechanisms did not effectively promote the compilation and application of scientific knowledge for conservation practice; (2) six important barriers hindered scientific input in management decisions; and (3) stakeholders showed positive perceptions about the involvement of scientists in protected areas and expressed their willingness to collaborate in conservation practice. This collaborative research helped to (1) identify gaps and opportunities that should be addressed for increasing the effectiveness of the institutional mechanisms and (2) support institutional changes integrating science-based strategies for strengthening scientific input in decision-making. These insights provide a useful contextual orientation for scholars and decision makers interested in conducting empirical research to connect scientific inputs with operational aspects of the management cycle in other institutional settings around the world.

Exploring Institutional Mechanisms for Scientific Input into the Management Cycle of the National Protected Area Network of Peru: Gaps and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López-Rodríguez, M. D.; Castro, H.; Arenas, M.; Requena-Mullor, J. M.; Cano, A.; Valenzuela, E.; Cabello, J.

2017-12-01

Understanding how to improve decision makers' use of scientific information across their different scales of management is a core challenge for narrowing the gap between science and conservation practice. Here, we present a study conducted in collaboration with decision makers that aims to explore the functionality of the mechanisms for scientific input within the institutional setting of the National Protected Area Network of Peru. First, we analyzed institutional mechanisms to assess the scientific information recorded by decision makers. Second, we developed two workshops involving scientists, decision makers and social actors to identify barriers to evidence-based conservation practice. Third, we administered 482 questionnaires to stakeholders to explore social perceptions of the role of science and the willingness to collaborate in the governance of protected areas. The results revealed that (1) the institutional mechanisms did not effectively promote the compilation and application of scientific knowledge for conservation practice; (2) six important barriers hindered scientific input in management decisions; and (3) stakeholders showed positive perceptions about the involvement of scientists in protected areas and expressed their willingness to collaborate in conservation practice. This collaborative research helped to (1) identify gaps and opportunities that should be addressed for increasing the effectiveness of the institutional mechanisms and (2) support institutional changes integrating science-based strategies for strengthening scientific input in decision-making. These insights provide a useful contextual orientation for scholars and decision makers interested in conducting empirical research to connect scientific inputs with operational aspects of the management cycle in other institutional settings around the world.

Fifty-eighth annual report of the Director of the Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mendenhall, Walter Curran

1937-01-01

During the fiscal year 1937 the Geological Survey continued its systematic work in investigating, mapping, and reporting on the geology, the mineral and water resources, and the physical features of the United States. The results of this work are basic in all conservational activities, as those who plan and direct the conservation policies toward the wise development and use of the Nation's resources must first have the facts about the quantity, quality, distribution, and availability of those resources and adequate maps with which to pursue and record further studies. Through its technical supervision of prospecting, mining, and producing operations on public and Indian land under permits, leases, and licenses, the Survey was directly engaged in the practical application of conservation policies.

7 CFR 634.4 - Responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... practices that are set forth in the contracts, (4) Where practicable, enter into agreements with soil conservation districts, State soil and water conservation agencies, or State water quality agencies to... practicable for soil conservation districts, State soil and water conservation agencies, or State water...

7 CFR 634.4 - Responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... practices that are set forth in the contracts, (4) Where practicable, enter into agreements with soil conservation districts, State soil and water conservation agencies, or State water quality agencies to... practicable for soil conservation districts, State soil and water conservation agencies, or State water...

7 CFR 634.4 - Responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... practices that are set forth in the contracts, (4) Where practicable, enter into agreements with soil conservation districts, State soil and water conservation agencies, or State water quality agencies to... practicable for soil conservation districts, State soil and water conservation agencies, or State water...

Regional effects of agricultural conservation practices on nutrient transport

Treesearch

Anna Maria Garcia; Richard B. Alexander; Jeffrey G. Arnold; Lee Norfleet; Mike White; Dale M. Robertson; Gregory Schwarz

2016-01-01

The Conservation Effects Assessment Program (CEAP), initiated by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has the goal of quantifying the environmental benefits of agricultural conservation practices. As part of this effort, detailed farmer surveyswere compiled to document the adoption of conservation practices. Survey data showed that up to 38...

Physical and Chemical Implications of Mid-Winter Pumping of Trunda Lakes - North Slope, Alaska

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hinzman, Larry D.; Lilly, Michael R.; Kane, Douglas L.

2005-09-30

Tundra lakes on the North Slope, Alaska, are an important resource for energy development and petroleum field operations. A majority of exploration activities, pipeline maintenance, and restoration activities take place on winter ice roads that depend on water availability at key times of the winter operating season. These same lakes provide important fisheries and ecosystem functions. In particular, overwintering habitat for fish is one important management concern. This study focused on the evaluation of winter water use in the current field operating areas to provide a better understanding of the current water use practices. It found that under the currentmore » water use practices, there were no measurable negative effects of winter pumping on the lakes studied and current water use management practices were appropriately conservative. The study did find many areas where improvements in the understanding of tundra lake hydrology and water usage would benefit industry, management agencies, and the protection of fisheries and ecosystems.« less

7 CFR 1466.23 - Payment rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... a list of conservation practices, eligible for payment under the program, which considers: (1) The conservation practice cost-effectiveness, implementation efficiency, and innovation, (2) The degree and... address, (4) The longevity of the practice's environmental benefits, (5) The conservation practice's...

7 CFR 1466.23 - Payment rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... a list of conservation practices, eligible for payment under the program, which considers: (1) The conservation practice cost-effectiveness, implementation efficiency, and innovation, (2) The degree and... address, (4) The longevity of the practice's environmental benefits, (5) The conservation practice's...

7 CFR 1466.23 - Payment rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... a list of conservation practices, eligible for payment under the program, which considers: (1) The conservation practice cost-effectiveness, implementation efficiency, and innovation, (2) The degree and... address, (4) The longevity of the practice's environmental benefits, (5) The conservation practice's...

7 CFR 610.2 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation Operations § 610.2 Scope. (a) Conservation operations, including technical assistance, is the basic soil and water conservation program of...

7 CFR 610.2 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation Operations § 610.2 Scope. (a) Conservation operations, including technical assistance, is the basic soil and water conservation program of...

7 CFR 610.2 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation Operations § 610.2 Scope. (a) Conservation operations, including technical assistance, is the basic soil and water conservation program of...

7 CFR 610.2 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation Operations § 610.2 Scope. (a) Conservation operations, including technical assistance, is the basic soil and water conservation program of...

Associations between conservation practices and ecology: ecological responses of agricultural streams and lakes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Conservation Effects Assessment Program (CEAP) Watershed Assessment Study goals are to quantify the environmental benefits of conservation practices at the watershed scale. Currently, a critical knowledge gap exists in linking conservation practices and their ecological effects on aquatic ecosy...

Assessment of range planting as a conservation practice

Treesearch

Stuart P. Hardegree; Bruce A. Roundy; Nancy L. Shaw; Corey A. Moffet; Thomas A. Monaco; Thomas A. Jones; Edward F. Redente

2009-01-01

NRCS range-planting Conservation Practice standards are used to develop management recommendations for improving vegetation composition an productivity of grazed plant communities. Individual Conservation Practice recommendations are implemented within a Conservation-Management-System in areas where the existing plant-community attributes are insufficient to meet...

7 CFR 1470.23 - Conservation activity operation and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conservation activity operation and maintenance. 1470... STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Contracts and Payments § 1470.23 Conservation activity operation and maintenance. The participant will operate and maintain existing conservation activities on the agricultural operation to at...

Digital innovation through partnership between nature conservation organisations and academia: a qualitative impact assessment.

PubMed

Galán-Díaz, Carlos; Edwards, Peter; Nelson, John D; van der Wal, René

2015-11-01

Nature conservation organisations increasingly turn to new digital technologies to help deliver conservation objectives. This has led to collaborative forms of working with academia to spearhead digital innovation. Through in-depth interviews with three UK research-council-funded case studies, we show that by working with academics conservation organisations can receive positive and negative impacts, some of which cut across their operations. Positive impacts include new ways of engaging with audiences, improved data workflows, financial benefits, capacity building and the necessary digital infrastructure to help them influence policy. Negative impacts include the time and resources required to learn new skills and sustain new technologies, managing different organisational objectives and shifts in working practices as a result of the new technologies. Most importantly, collaboration with academics was shown to bring the opportunity of a profound change in perspectives on technologies with benefits to the partner organisations and individuals therein.

75 FR 77821 - Agricultural Water Enhancement Program and Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-14

... activities anticipated to be addressed and conservation practices to be implemented; 4. The responsibilities... producers to implement approved conservation practices. Producers interested in applying must meet the... producers to implement agreed-to conservation practices in program contracts may not be considered any part...

Annual report to the President and the Congress on the State Energy Conservation Program for calendar year 1989

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-12-01

The Department is required by Section 365(c) of Title 3, Part C, of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), 42 U.S.C. 6321-6327, as amended by Title 4, Part B of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (ECPA), to report annually to the President and the Congress on the operation of the State Energy Conservation Program. The report is to include an estimate of the energy conservation achieved, and the degree of state participation and achievement as well as a description of innovative conservation programs undertaken by individual states. Together the EPCA and the ECPA constitute the State Energy Conservationmore » Program (SECP) which has provided the states (any one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Territories and possessions of the United States) with funding to help establish and maintain their capability to plan, design, implement and coordinate a variety of programs and initiatives designed to promote energy conservation and efficiency at state and local levels. All states have operational programs funded under EPCA (no monies have been appropriated under ECPA since FY 1981). In addition, the majority of states have augmented the SECP with oil overcharge funding they have received over the past several years. Each state is required to provide a twenty-percent match for the Federal funds received, and its Base Plan must include the following program measures: (1) mandatory lighting efficiency standards for state public buildings; (2) programs to promote the availability and use of carpool, vanpool, and public transportation; (3) mandatory standards and policies relating to energy efficiency to govern the state procurement practices; (4) mandatory thermal efficiency standards and insulation requirements for new and renovated buildings; and (5) a traffic law or regulation, which permits the operator of a motor vehicle to turn right at a red stop light after stopping. 6 tabs.« less

Putting people on the map through an approach that integrates social data in conservation planning.

PubMed

Stephanson, Sheri L; Mascia, Michael B

2014-10-01

Conservation planning is integral to strategic and effective operations of conservation organizations. Drawing upon biological sciences, conservation planning has historically made limited use of social data. We offer an approach for integrating data on social well-being into conservation planning that captures and places into context the spatial patterns and trends in human needs and capacities. This hierarchical approach provides a nested framework for characterizing and mapping data on social well-being in 5 domains: economic well-being, health, political empowerment, education, and culture. These 5 domains each have multiple attributes; each attribute may be characterized by one or more indicators. Through existing or novel data that display spatial and temporal heterogeneity in social well-being, conservation scientists, planners, and decision makers may measure, benchmark, map, and integrate these data within conservation planning processes. Selecting indicators and integrating these data into conservation planning is an iterative, participatory process tailored to the local context and planning goals. Social well-being data complement biophysical and threat-oriented social data within conservation planning processes to inform decisions regarding where and how to conserve biodiversity, provide a structure for exploring socioecological relationships, and to foster adaptive management. Building upon existing conservation planning methods and insights from multiple disciplines, this approach to putting people on the map can readily merge with current planning practices to facilitate more rigorous decision making. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Aligning science and policy to achieve evolutionarily enlightened conservation.

PubMed

Cook, Carly N; Sgrò, Carla M

2017-06-01

There is increasing recognition among conservation scientists that long-term conservation outcomes could be improved through better integration of evolutionary theory into management practices. Despite concerns that the importance of key concepts emerging from evolutionary theory (i.e., evolutionary principles and processes) are not being recognized by managers, there has been little effort to determine the level of integration of evolutionary theory into conservation policy and practice. We assessed conservation policy at 3 scales (international, national, and provincial) on 3 continents to quantify the degree to which key evolutionary concepts, such as genetic diversity and gene flow, are being incorporated into conservation practice. We also evaluated the availability of clear guidance within the applied evolutionary biology literature as to how managers can change their management practices to achieve better conservation outcomes. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of maintaining genetic diversity, conservation policies provide little guidance about how this can be achieved in practice and other relevant evolutionary concepts, such as inbreeding depression, are mentioned rarely. In some cases the poor integration of evolutionary concepts into management reflects a lack of decision-support tools in the literature. Where these tools are available, such as risk-assessment frameworks, they are not being adopted by conservation policy makers, suggesting that the availability of a strong evidence base is not the only barrier to evolutionarily enlightened management. We believe there is a clear need for more engagement by evolutionary biologists with policy makers to develop practical guidelines that will help managers make changes to conservation practice. There is also an urgent need for more research to better understand the barriers to and opportunities for incorporating evolutionary theory into conservation practice. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Impacts of Soil and Water Conservation Practices on Crop Yield, Run-off, Soil Loss and Nutrient Loss in Ethiopia: Review and Synthesis.

PubMed

Adimassu, Zenebe; Langan, Simon; Johnston, Robyn; Mekuria, Wolde; Amede, Tilahun

2017-01-01

Research results published regarding the impact of soil and water conservation practices in the highland areas of Ethiopia have been inconsistent and scattered. In this paper, a detailed review and synthesis is reported that was conducted to identify the impacts of soil and water conservation practices on crop yield, surface run-off, soil loss, nutrient loss, and the economic viability, as well as to discuss the implications for an integrated approach and ecosystem services. The review and synthesis showed that most physical soil and water conservation practices such as soil bunds and stone bunds were very effective in reducing run-off, soil erosion and nutrient depletion. Despite these positive impacts on these services, the impact of physical soil and water conservation practices on crop yield was negative mainly due to the reduction of effective cultivable area by soil/stone bunds. In contrast, most agronomic soil and water conservation practices increase crop yield and reduce run-off and soil losses. This implies that integrating physical soil and water conservation practices with agronomic soil and water conservation practices are essential to increase both provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. Additionally, effective use of unutilized land (the area occupied by bunds) by planting multipurpose grasses and trees on the bunds may offset the yield lost due to a reduction in planting area. If high value grasses and trees can be grown on this land, farmers can harvest fodder for animals or fuel wood, both in scarce supply in Ethiopia. Growing of these grasses and trees can also help the stability of the bunds and reduce maintenance cost. Economic feasibility analysis also showed that, soil and water conservation practices became economically more viable if physical and agronomic soil and water conservation practices are integrated.

Impacts of Soil and Water Conservation Practices on Crop Yield, Run-off, Soil Loss and Nutrient Loss in Ethiopia: Review and Synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adimassu, Zenebe; Langan, Simon; Johnston, Robyn; Mekuria, Wolde; Amede, Tilahun

2017-01-01

Research results published regarding the impact of soil and water conservation practices in the highland areas of Ethiopia have been inconsistent and scattered. In this paper, a detailed review and synthesis is reported that was conducted to identify the impacts of soil and water conservation practices on crop yield, surface run-off, soil loss, nutrient loss, and the economic viability, as well as to discuss the implications for an integrated approach and ecosystem services. The review and synthesis showed that most physical soil and water conservation practices such as soil bunds and stone bunds were very effective in reducing run-off, soil erosion and nutrient depletion. Despite these positive impacts on these services, the impact of physical soil and water conservation practices on crop yield was negative mainly due to the reduction of effective cultivable area by soil/stone bunds. In contrast, most agronomic soil and water conservation practices increase crop yield and reduce run-off and soil losses. This implies that integrating physical soil and water conservation practices with agronomic soil and water conservation practices are essential to increase both provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. Additionally, effective use of unutilized land (the area occupied by bunds) by planting multipurpose grasses and trees on the bunds may offset the yield lost due to a reduction in planting area. If high value grasses and trees can be grown on this land, farmers can harvest fodder for animals or fuel wood, both in scarce supply in Ethiopia. Growing of these grasses and trees can also help the stability of the bunds and reduce maintenance cost. Economic feasibility analysis also showed that, soil and water conservation practices became economically more viable if physical and agronomic soil and water conservation practices are integrated.

Experimental determination of the steady-state charging probabilities and particle size conservation in non-radioactive and radioactive bipolar aerosol chargers in the size range of 5-40 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallinger, Peter; Szymanski, Wladyslaw W.

2015-04-01

Three bipolar aerosol chargers, an AC-corona (Electrical Ionizer 1090, MSP Corp.), a soft X-ray (Advanced Aerosol Neutralizer 3087, TSI Inc.), and an α-radiation-based 241Am charger (tapcon & analysesysteme), were investigated on their charging performance of airborne nanoparticles. The charging probabilities for negatively and positively charged particles and the particle size conservation were measured in the diameter range of 5-40 nm using sucrose nanoparticles. Chargers were operated under various flow conditions in the range of 0.6-5.0 liters per minute. For particular experimental conditions, some deviations from the chosen theoretical model were found for all chargers. For very small particle sizes, the AC-corona charger showed particle losses at low flow rates and did not reach steady-state charge equilibrium at high flow rates. However, for all chargers, operating conditions were identified where the bipolar charge equilibrium was achieved. Practically, excellent particle size conservation was found for all three chargers.

7 CFR 1470.23 - Conservation activity operation and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Conservation activity operation and maintenance. 1470... STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Contracts and Payments § 1470.23 Conservation activity operation and maintenance. The participant will maintain and manage existing conservation activities on the agricultural operation to at...

Mainstreaming the social sciences in conservation.

PubMed

Bennett, Nathan J; Roth, Robin; Klain, Sarah C; Chan, Kai M A; Clark, Douglas A; Cullman, Georgina; Epstein, Graham; Nelson, Michael Paul; Stedman, Richard; Teel, Tara L; Thomas, Rebecca E W; Wyborn, Carina; Curran, Deborah; Greenberg, Alison; Sandlos, John; Veríssimo, Diogo

2017-02-01

Despite broad recognition of the value of social sciences and increasingly vocal calls for better engagement with the human element of conservation, the conservation social sciences remain misunderstood and underutilized in practice. The conservation social sciences can provide unique and important contributions to society's understanding of the relationships between humans and nature and to improving conservation practice and outcomes. There are 4 barriers-ideological, institutional, knowledge, and capacity-to meaningful integration of the social sciences into conservation. We provide practical guidance on overcoming these barriers to mainstream the social sciences in conservation science, practice, and policy. Broadly, we recommend fostering knowledge on the scope and contributions of the social sciences to conservation, including social scientists from the inception of interdisciplinary research projects, incorporating social science research and insights during all stages of conservation planning and implementation, building social science capacity at all scales in conservation organizations and agencies, and promoting engagement with the social sciences in and through global conservation policy-influencing organizations. Conservation social scientists, too, need to be willing to engage with natural science knowledge and to communicate insights and recommendations clearly. We urge the conservation community to move beyond superficial engagement with the conservation social sciences. A more inclusive and integrative conservation science-one that includes the natural and social sciences-will enable more ecologically effective and socially just conservation. Better collaboration among social scientists, natural scientists, practitioners, and policy makers will facilitate a renewed and more robust conservation. Mainstreaming the conservation social sciences will facilitate the uptake of the full range of insights and contributions from these fields into conservation policy and practice. © 2016 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Quantifying the effects of conservation practices on soil, water, and nutrients in the Loess Mesa Ravine Region of the Loess Plateau, China.

PubMed

Xu, Xiang-Zhou; Li, Mei-Juan; Liu, Bin; Kuang, Shang-Fu; Xu, Shi-Guo

2012-05-01

A large number of soil and water conservation programs have been implemented on the Loess Plateau of China since the 1950s. To comprehensively assess the merits and demerits of the conservation practices is of great importance in further supervising the conservation strategy for the Loess Plateau. This study calculates the impact factors of conservation practices on soil, water, and nutrients during the period 1954-2004 in the Nanxiaohegou Catchment, a representative catchment in the Loess Mesa Ravine Region of the Loess Plateau, China. Brief conclusions could be drawn as follows: (1) Soil erosion and nutrient loss had been greatly mitigated through various conservation practices. About half of the total transported water and 94.8 % of the total transported soil and nutrients, had been locally retained in the selected catchment. The soil retained from small watersheds do not only form large-scale fertile farmland but also safeguard the Yellow River against overflow. (2) Check dam was the most appropriate conservation practice on the Loess Plateau. In the selected catchment, more than 90 % of the retained soil and water were accomplished by the dam farmland, although the dam farmland occupied only 2.3 % of the total area of all conservation measures. Retention abilities of the characteristic conservation practices were in the following order: dam farmland > terrace farmland > forest land and grassland. (3) The conservation practices were more powerful in retaining sediment than in reducing runoff from the Loess Plateau, and the negative effects of the conservation practices on reducing water to the Yellow River were relatively slight.

Optimal Hedging Rule for Reservoir Refill Operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, W.; Zhao, J.; Lund, J. R.; Zhao, T.; Lei, X.; Wang, H.

2015-12-01

This paper develops an optimal reservoir Refill Hedging Rule (RHR) for combined water supply and flood operation using mathematical analysis. A two-stage model is developed to formulate the trade-off between operations for conservation benefit and flood damage in the reservoir refill season. Based on the probability distribution of the maximum refill water availability at the end of the second stage, three zones are characterized according to the relationship among storage capacity, expected storage buffer (ESB), and maximum safety excess discharge (MSED). The Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions of the model show that the optimality of the refill operation involves making the expected marginal loss of conservation benefit from unfilling (i.e., ending storage of refill period less than storage capacity) as nearly equal to the expected marginal flood damage from levee overtopping downstream as possible while maintaining all constraints. This principle follows and combines the hedging rules for water supply and flood management. A RHR curve is drawn analogously to water supply hedging and flood hedging rules, showing the trade-off between the two objectives. The release decision result has a linear relationship with the current water availability, implying the linearity of RHR for a wide range of water conservation functions (linear, concave, or convex). A demonstration case shows the impacts of factors. Larger downstream flood conveyance capacity and empty reservoir capacity allow a smaller current release and more water can be conserved. Economic indicators of conservation benefit and flood damage compete with each other on release, the greater economic importance of flood damage is, the more water should be released in the current stage, and vice versa. Below a critical value, improving forecasts yields less water release, but an opposing effect occurs beyond this critical value. Finally, the Danjiangkou Reservoir case study shows that the RHR together with a rolling horizon decision approach can lead to a gradual dynamic refilling, indicating its potential for practical use.

Leaders' perspectives in the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, D.J.; Clark, S.G.; Byrd, K.L.; Brown, S.R.; Robinson, B.

2011-01-01

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) was created in 1993 to advance conservation in a 1.2 million km2 portion of the North American Rocky Mountains. We assembled 21 people with influence over Y2Y in a workshop to elucidate perspectives on challenges and solutions for this organization at a key point in its evolution, and used Q method to define four perspectives on challenges and three on solutions. Participants were differentiated by four models for effecting change-vision-based advocacy, practice-based learning, political engagement, and scientific management-with emphasis on the first three. Those with authority in Y2Y aligned with vision-based advocacy and expressed ambivalence about practice-based adaptive learning and rigorous appraisals of existing strategies. Workshop results were consistent with an apparent trend toward organizational maturation focused on stabilizing revenues, developing formal organizational arrangements, and focusing strategies. Consolidation of power in Y2Y around a long-standing formula does not bode well for the effectiveness of Y2Y. We recommend that leaders in Y2Y and similar organizations focused on large-scale conservation to create and maintain an open system-philosophically and operationally-that capitalizes on the diverse perspectives and skills of individuals who are attracted to such efforts. We also recommend that the Y2Y initiative be followed closely to harvest additional lessons for potential application to large-scale conservation efforts elsewhere. ?? Springer Science+Business Media, LLC(outside the USA).2011.

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP): a national scale natural resources and conservation needs assessment and decision support tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, M.-V. V.; Norfleet, M. L.; Atwood, J. D.; Behrman, K. D.; Kiniry, J. R.; Arnold, J. G.; White, M. J.; Williams, J.

2015-07-01

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was initiated to quantify the impacts of agricultural conservation practices at the watershed, regional, and national scales across the United States. Representative cropland acres in all major U.S. watersheds were surveyed in 2003-2006 as part of the seminal CEAP Cropland National Assessment. Two process-based models, the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender(APEX) and the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), were applied to the survey data to provide a quantitative assessment of current conservation practice impacts, establish a benchmark against which future conservation trends and efforts could be measured, and identify outstanding conservation concerns. The flexibility of these models and the unprecedented amount of data on current conservation practices across the country enabled Cropland CEAP to meet its Congressional mandate of quantifying the value of current conservation practices. It also enabled scientifically grounded exploration of a variety of conservation scenarios, empowering CEAP to not only inform on past successes and additional needs, but to also provide a decision support tool to help guide future policy development and conservation practice decision making. The CEAP effort will repeat the national survey in 2015-2016, enabling CEAP to provide analyses of emergent conservation trends, outstanding needs, and potential costs and benefits of pursuing various treatment scenarios for all agricultural watersheds across the United States.

Effects of conservation practices on fisheries management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Beasley Lake watershed was subjected to a series of conservation management practices with the goal of reducing sediment and nutrients entering the lake via agricultural runoff. Concurrent with the application of conservation practices, the lake was renovated and restocked to produce a sports fishe...

Utility of remotely sensed data for identification of soil conservation practices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelletier, R. E.; Griffin, R. H.

1986-01-01

Discussed are a variety of remotely sensed data sources that may have utility in the identification of conservation practices and related linear features. Test sites were evaluated in Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma using one or more of a variety of remotely sensed data sources, including color infrared photography (CIR), LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) data, and aircraft-acquired Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data. Both visual examination and computer-implemented enhancement procedures were used to identify conservation practices and other linear features. For the Kansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma test sites, photo interpretations of CIR identified up to 24 of the 109 conservation practices from a matrix derived from the SCS National Handbook of Conservation Practices. The conservation practice matrix was modified to predict the possibility of identifying the 109 practices at various photographic scales based on the observed results as well as photo interpreter experience. Some practices were successfully identified in TM data through visual identification, but a number of existing practices were of such size and shape that the resolution of the TM could not detect them accurately. A series of computer-automated decorrelation and filtering procedures served to enhance the conservation practices in TM data with only fair success. However, features such as field boundaries, roads, water bodies, and the Urban/Ag interface were easily differentiated. Similar enhancement techniques applied to 5 and 10 meter TIMS data proved much more useful in delineating terraces, grass waterways, and drainage ditches as well as the features mentioned above, due partly to improved resolution and partly to thermally influenced moisture conditions. Spatially oriented data such as those derived from remotely sensed data offer some promise in the inventory and monitoring of conservation practices as well as in supplying parameter data for a variety of computer-implemented agricultural models.

Evaluation for Water Conservation in Agriculture: Using a Multi-Method Econometric Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez, A.; Eaton, D. J.

2012-12-01

Since the 1960's, farmers have implemented new irrigation technology to increase crop production and planting acreage. At that time, technology responded to the increasing demand for food due to world population growth. Currently, the problem of decreased water supply threatens to limit agricultural production. Uncertain precipitation patterns, from prolonged droughts to irregular rains, will continue to hamper planting operations, and farmers are further limited by an increased competition for water from rapidly growing urban areas. Irrigation technology promises to reduce water usage while maintaining or increasing farm yields. The challenge for water managers and policy makers is to quantify and redistribute these efficiency gains as a source of 'new water.' Using conservation in farming as a source of 'new water' requires accurately quantifying the efficiency gains of irrigation technology under farmers' actual operations and practices. From a water resource management and policy perspective, the efficiency gains from conservation in farming can be redistributed to municipal, industrial and recreational uses. This paper presents a methodology that water resource managers can use to statistically verify the water savings attributable to conservation technology. The specific conservation technology examined in this study is precision leveling, and the study includes a mixed-methods approach using four different econometric models: Ordinary Least Squares, Fixed Effects, Propensity Score Matching, and Hierarchical Linear Models. These methods are used for ex-post program evaluation where random assignment is not possible, and they could be employed to evaluate agricultural conservation programs, where participation is often self-selected. The principal method taken in this approach is Hierarchical Linear Models (HLM), a useful model for agriculture because it incorporates the hierarchical nature of the data (fields, tenants, and landowners) as well as crop rotation (fields in and out of production). The other three methods provide verification of the accuracy of the HLM model and create a robust comparison of the water savings estimates. Seventeen factors were used to isolate the effect of precision leveling from variations in climate, investments in other irrigation improvements, and farmers' management skills. These statistical analyses yield accurate water savings estimates because they consider farmers' actual irrigation technology and practices. Results suggest that savings from water conservation technology under farmers' actual production systems and management are less than those reported by experimental field studies. These water savings measure the 'in situ' effect of the technology, considering farmers' actual irrigation practices and technology. In terms of the accuracy of the models, HLM provides the most precise estimate of the impact of precision leveling on a field's water usage. The HLM estimate was within the 95% confidence interval of the other three models, thus verifying the accuracy and robustness of the statistical findings and model.

7 CFR 632.4 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... land user to carry out a conservation practice or an identifiable unit of a conservation practice. Conservation district. A legal subdivision of State government responsible for developing and carrying out...

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP): The U.S. experience in determining a national scale natural resource and conservation needs assessment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was initiated to establish a scientific understanding of the impacts of agricultural conservation practices at the watershed scale, to quantify agricultural conservation practice benefits at the national and regional scales, and to identify outstand...

10 CFR 455.62 - Contents of a technical assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... and document energy conservation maintenance and operating procedure changes and energy conservation... operating procedure changes, if any, and energy conservation measures selected in accordance with the State... conservation maintenance and operating procedure change and an estimate of the costs of adopting such energy...

10 CFR 455.62 - Contents of a technical assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... and document energy conservation maintenance and operating procedure changes and energy conservation... operating procedure changes, if any, and energy conservation measures selected in accordance with the State... conservation maintenance and operating procedure change and an estimate of the costs of adopting such energy...

10 CFR 455.62 - Contents of a technical assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... and document energy conservation maintenance and operating procedure changes and energy conservation... operating procedure changes, if any, and energy conservation measures selected in accordance with the State... conservation maintenance and operating procedure change and an estimate of the costs of adopting such energy...

10 CFR 455.62 - Contents of a technical assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... and document energy conservation maintenance and operating procedure changes and energy conservation... operating procedure changes, if any, and energy conservation measures selected in accordance with the State... conservation maintenance and operating procedure change and an estimate of the costs of adopting such energy...

10 CFR 455.62 - Contents of a technical assistance program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... and document energy conservation maintenance and operating procedure changes and energy conservation... operating procedure changes, if any, and energy conservation measures selected in accordance with the State... conservation maintenance and operating procedure change and an estimate of the costs of adopting such energy...

Ecology and conservation: contributions to One Health.

PubMed

Cleaveland, S; Borner, M; Gislason, M

2014-08-01

Although One Health is widely promoted as a more effective approach towards human, animal and ecosystem health, the momentum is still driven largely by health professionals, predominantly from the veterinary sector. While few can doubt the merits of interdisciplinary One Health approaches to tackle complex health problems, operating across the disciplines still presents many challenges. This paper focuses on the contributions of partners from ecology and conservation to One Health approaches, and identifies four broad areas which could act as a focus for practical engagement and bring ecological and conservation objectives more to the forefront of the One Health agenda: i) developing initiatives with shared conservation and health objectives, particularly in and around protected areas and including programmes addressing human reproductive health and mental health; ii) broadening concepts of health to extend beyond indicators of disease to include the assessment of ecological impacts; iii) the integration of ecological and epidemiological monitoring systems within protected areas to support conservation management and wildlife disease surveillance; iv) building partnerships to bring conservation, health, development and animal welfare agencies together to combat threats to global biodiversity and health from the international trade in wildlife and wildlife products.

Sensitivity of simulated conservation practice effectiveness to representation of field and in-stream processes in the Little River Watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Evaluating the effectiveness of conservation practices (CPs) is an important step to achieving efficient and successful water quality management. Watershed-scale simulation models can provide useful and convenient tools for this evaluation, but simulated conservation practice effectiveness should be...

Long-term research and monitoring of conservation practice effects in Iowa watersheds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Impacts of conservation practices on water quality can be demonstrated at the plot and field scales in research or on-farm settings. Watershed-scale monitoring is often used to examine the cumulative effects of conservation practice implementation for that drainage area. The Upper Mississippi River ...

Of birds, carbon and water: integrating multiple ecosystem service impacts to identify locations for agricultural conservation practice adoption

EPA Science Inventory

Human use of the landscape for crop production can degrade ecosystem services. A number of agricultural conservation practices are touted as mitigating these impacts. Many of these practices are encouraged by incentive programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program administere...

77 FR 15933 - Conservation Loan Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-19

... ``Conservation Practice'' to coincide with the definition in NRCS regulations. FSA will add a definition of... though forestry practices are included in 7 CFR 762.121 and 764.231 as an authorized loan purpose or use... conservation practice included in the Forest Stewardship Management Plan will be an eligible use of CL funds...

Modeling and Analysis of Energy Conservation Scheme Based on Duty Cycling in Wireless Ad Hoc Sensor Network

PubMed Central

Chung, Yun Won; Hwang, Ho Young

2010-01-01

In sensor network, energy conservation is one of the most critical issues since sensor nodes should perform a sensing task for a long time (e.g., lasting a few years) but the battery of them cannot be replaced in most practical situations. For this purpose, numerous energy conservation schemes have been proposed and duty cycling scheme is considered the most suitable power conservation technique, where sensor nodes alternate between states having different levels of power consumption. In order to analyze the energy consumption of energy conservation scheme based on duty cycling, it is essential to obtain the probability of each state. In this paper, we analytically derive steady state probability of sensor node states, i.e., sleep, listen, and active states, based on traffic characteristics and timer values, i.e., sleep timer, listen timer, and active timer. The effect of traffic characteristics and timer values on the steady state probability and energy consumption is analyzed in detail. Our work can provide sensor network operators guideline for selecting appropriate timer values for efficient energy conservation. The analytical methodology developed in this paper can be extended to other energy conservation schemes based on duty cycling with different sensor node states, without much difficulty. PMID:22219676

Assessment of range planting as a conservation practice [Chapter 4

Treesearch

Stuart P. Hardegree; Thomas A. Jones; Bruce A. Roundy; Nancy L. Shaw; Thomas A. Monaco

2011-01-01

The Range Planting Conservation Practice Standard is used to inform development of Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) management recommendations for improving vegetation composition and productivity of grazed plant communities. Range planting recommendations are generally implemented within an integrated conservation management system in conjunction with...

24 CFR 965.306 - Energy conservation equipment and practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Energy conservation equipment and... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PHA-OWNED OR LEASED PROJECTS-GENERAL PROVISIONS Energy Audits and Energy Conservation Measures § 965.306 Energy conservation equipment and practices. In purchasing original or, when needed...

24 CFR 965.306 - Energy conservation equipment and practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Energy conservation equipment and... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PHA-OWNED OR LEASED PROJECTS-GENERAL PROVISIONS Energy Audits and Energy Conservation Measures § 965.306 Energy conservation equipment and practices. In purchasing original or, when needed...

24 CFR 965.306 - Energy conservation equipment and practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Energy conservation equipment and... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PHA-OWNED OR LEASED PROJECTS-GENERAL PROVISIONS Energy Audits and Energy Conservation Measures § 965.306 Energy conservation equipment and practices. In purchasing original or, when needed...

24 CFR 965.306 - Energy conservation equipment and practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Energy conservation equipment and... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PHA-OWNED OR LEASED PROJECTS-GENERAL PROVISIONS Energy Audits and Energy Conservation Measures § 965.306 Energy conservation equipment and practices. In purchasing original or, when needed...

24 CFR 965.306 - Energy conservation equipment and practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Energy conservation equipment and... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PHA-OWNED OR LEASED PROJECTS-GENERAL PROVISIONS Energy Audits and Energy Conservation Measures § 965.306 Energy conservation equipment and practices. In purchasing original or, when needed...

Reconciling Biodiversity Conservation and Timber Production in Mixed Uneven-Aged Mountain Forests: Identification of Ecological Intensification Pathways.

PubMed

Lafond, Valentine; Cordonnier, Thomas; Courbaud, Benoît

2015-11-01

Mixed uneven-aged forests are considered favorable to the provision of multiple ecosystem services and to the conciliation of timber production and biodiversity conservation. However, some forest managers now plan to increase the intensity of thinning and harvesting operations in these forests. Retention measures or gap creation are considered to compensate potential negative impacts on biodiversity. Our objectives were to assess the effect of these management practices on timber production and biodiversity conservation and identify potential compensating effects between these practices, using the concept of ecological intensification as a framework. We performed a simulation study coupling Samsara2, a simulation model designed for spruce-fir uneven-aged mountain forests, an uneven-aged silviculture algorithm, and biodiversity models. We analyzed the effect of parameters related to uneven-aged management practices on timber production, biodiversity, and sustainability indicators. Our study confirmed that the indicators responded differently to management practices, leading to trade-offs situations. Increasing management intensity had negative impacts on several biodiversity indicators, which could be partly compensated by the positive effect of retention measures targeting large trees, non-dominant species, and deadwood. The impact of gap creation was more mitigated, with a positive effect on the diversity of tree sizes and deadwood but a negative impact on the spruce-fir mixing balance and on the diversity of the understory layer. Through the analysis of compensating effects, we finally revealed the existence of possible ecological intensification pathways, i.e., the possibility to increase management intensity while maintaining biodiversity through the promotion of nature-based management principles (gap creation and retention measures).

7 CFR 654.30 - Responsibility for operation and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... soil and water conservation measures installed with NRCS assistance provided through soil, water, and other conservation districts. ... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Conservation...

7 CFR 654.30 - Responsibility for operation and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... soil and water conservation measures installed with NRCS assistance provided through soil, water, and other conservation districts. ... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Conservation...

7 CFR 654.30 - Responsibility for operation and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... soil and water conservation measures installed with NRCS assistance provided through soil, water, and other conservation districts. ... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Conservation...

7 CFR 654.30 - Responsibility for operation and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... soil and water conservation measures installed with NRCS assistance provided through soil, water, and other conservation districts. ... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Conservation...

7 CFR 654.30 - Responsibility for operation and maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... soil and water conservation measures installed with NRCS assistance provided through soil, water, and other conservation districts. ... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE Conservation...

40 CFR Table 8 to Part 455 - List of Pollution Prevention Alternative Practices

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... described above in the limitations and standards (§ 455.41(c)). 1. Must use water conservation practices... demonstrate that, after using water conservation practices, the large concentration of inert ingredient in the... inert ingredient(s) only and: (1) The facility can demonstrate that, after using water conservation...

40 CFR Table 8 to Part 455 - List of Pollution Prevention Alternative Practices

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... described above in the limitations and standards (§ 455.41(c)). 1. Must use water conservation practices... demonstrate that, after using water conservation practices, the large concentration of inert ingredient in the... inert ingredient(s) only and: (1) The facility can demonstrate that, after using water conservation...

40 CFR Table 8 to Part 455 - List of Pollution Prevention Alternative Practices

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... described above in the limitations and standards (§ 455.41(c)). 1. Must use water conservation practices... demonstrate that, after using water conservation practices, the large concentration of inert ingredient in the... inert ingredient(s) only and: (1) The facility can demonstrate that, after using water conservation...

Approved Practices in Soil Conservation. Fifth Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosworth, Duane A.; Foster, Albert B.

This book is designed for individuals who want to apply conservation practices either without or with minimal technical assistance. These individuals include students who want to practice soil/water conservation with some instructor guidance and others who want to apply the principles in their own way, to their own conditions, and within their own…

Approved Practices in Soil Conservation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Albert B.

This book is written for individuals who wish to apply conservation practices, especially those of soil and water conservation, without technical assistance, to meet one's own conditions, and within his own capability to apply them. To meet these needs, the book includes a discussion and description of soil and water conservation methods for the…

Transforming conservation science and practice for a postnormal world.

PubMed

Colloff, Matthew J; Lavorel, Sandra; van Kerkhoff, Lorrae E; Wyborn, Carina A; Fazey, Ioan; Gorddard, Russell; Mace, Georgina M; Foden, Wendy B; Dunlop, Michael; Prentice, I Colin; Crowley, John; Leadley, Paul; Degeorges, Patrick

2017-10-01

We examine issues to consider when reframing conservation science and practice in the context of global change. New framings of the links between ecosystems and society are emerging that are changing peoples' values and expectations of nature, resulting in plural perspectives on conservation. Reframing conservation for global change can thus be regarded as a stage in the evolving relationship between people and nature rather than some recent trend. New models of how conservation links with transformative adaptation include how decision contexts for conservation can be reframed and integrated with an adaptation pathways approach to create new options for global-change-ready conservation. New relationships for conservation science and governance include coproduction of knowledge that supports social learning. New processes for implementing adaptation for conservation outcomes include deliberate practices used to develop new strategies, shift world views, work with conflict, address power and intergenerational equity in decisions, and build consciousness and creativity that empower agents to act. We argue that reframing conservation for global change requires scientists and practitioners to implement approaches unconstrained by discipline and sectoral boundaries, geopolitical polarities, or technical problematization. We consider a stronger focus on inclusive creation of knowledge and the interaction of this knowledge with societal values and rules is likely to result in conservation science and practice that meets the challenges of a postnormal world. © 2017 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leitner, Peter; Heyn, Martin F.; Kernbichler, Winfried

In this paper, the impact of momentum and energy conservation of the collision operator in the kinetic description for Resonant Magnetic Perturbations (RMPs) in a tokamak is studied. The particle conserving differential collision operator of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck type is supplemented with integral parts such that energy and momentum are conserved. The application to RMP penetration in a tokamak shows that energy conservation in the electron collision operator is important for the quantitative description of plasma shielding effects at the resonant surface. On the other hand, momentum conservation in the ion collision operator does not significantly change the results.

The challenge of documenting water quality benefits of conservation practices: a review of USDA-ARS's conservation effects assessment project watershed studies.

PubMed

Tomer, M D; Locke, M A

2011-01-01

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project was established to quantify water quality benefits of conservation practices supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In 2004, watershed assessment studies were begun in fourteen agricultural watersheds with varying cropping systems, landscapes, climate, and water quality concerns. This paper reviews USDA Agricultural Research Service 'Benchmark' watershed studies and the challenge of identifying water quality benefits in watersheds. Study goals included modeling and field research to assess practices, and evaluation of practice placement in watersheds. Not all goals were met within five years but important lessons were learned. While practices improved water quality, problems persisted in larger watersheds. This dissociation between practice-focused and watershed-scale assessments occurred because: (1) Conservation practices were not targeted at critical sources/pathways of contaminants; (2) Sediment in streams originated more from channel and bank erosion than from soil erosion; (3) Timing lags, historical legacies, and shifting climate combined to mask effects of practice implementation; and (4) Water quality management strategies addressed single contaminants with little regard for trade-offs among contaminants. These lessons could help improve conservation strategies and set water quality goals with realistic timelines. Continued research on agricultural water quality could better integrate modeling and monitoring capabilities, and address ecosystem services.

Estimating the effects of wetland conservation practices in croplands: Approaches for modeling in CEAP–Cropland Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

De Steven, Diane; Mushet, David

2018-01-01

Quantifying the current and potential benefits of conservation practices can be a valuable tool for encouraging greater practice adoption on agricultural lands. A goal of the CEAP-Cropland Assessment is to estimate the environmental effects of conservation practices that reduce losses (exports) of soil, nutrients, and pesticides from farmlands to streams and rivers. The assessment approach combines empirical data on reported cropland practices with simulation modeling that compares field-level exports for scenarios “with practices” and “without practices.” Conserved, restored, and created wetlands collectively represent conservation practices that can influence sediment and nutrient exports from croplands. However, modeling the role of wetlands within croplands presents some challenges, including the potential for negative impacts of sediment and nutrient inputs on wetland functions. This Science Note outlines some preliminary solutions for incorporating wetlands and wetland practices into the CEAP-Cropland modeling framework. First, modeling the effects of wetland practices requires identifying wetland hydrogeomorphic type and accounting for the condition of both the wetland and an adjacent upland zone. Second, modeling is facilitated by classifying wetland-related practices into two functional categories (wetland and upland buffer). Third, simulating practice effects requires alternative field configurations to account for hydrological differences among wetland types. These ideas are illustrated for two contrasting wetland types (riparian and depressional).

7 CFR 1470.24 - Payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... associated waste transport or transfer devices for animal feeding operations; or (3) Conservation activities... AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Contracts and Payments... additional conservation activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities...

7 CFR 1470.24 - Payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... associated waste transport or transfer devices for animal feeding operations; or (3) Conservation activities... AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Contracts and Payments... additional conservation activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities...

7 CFR 1470.24 - Payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... associated waste transport or transfer devices for animal feeding operations; or (3) Conservation activities... AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Contracts and Payments... additional conservation activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities...

7 CFR 1470.24 - Payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... associated waste transport or transfer devices for animal feeding operations; or (3) Conservation activities... AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Contracts and Payments... additional conservation activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities...

The Resource Buffer Theory: Connecting the Dots from Conservation to Sustainability

Treesearch

Peter E. Black

2006-01-01

Review of conservation history and scientific developments helps us understand relationships between humans, environment, and sustainability. Applying “conservation” to natural resources and practical resource management occurred early in the Twentieth Century; practical economic definitions of conservation and natural resource followed. Resource surpluses underpin the...

Common and conflicting interests in the engagements between conservation organizations and corporations.

PubMed

Robinson, John G

2012-12-01

The conservation community increasingly views the corporate sector as a positive force for conservation. Collaborations between corporations and nongovernmental conservation organizations (NGOs) seek to mitigate the negative effects of corporate activities and augment positive conservation outcomes. I reviewed the establishment of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies by corporations; the emerging focus on environmental practices and sustainability; and the history of engagement between corporations and nongovernmental organizations. I considered the ethical and reputation vulnerabilities of these collaborations, which depend especially on the financial nature of the relationship and reviewed how CSR approaches have influenced corporate practices. I concluded that whereas CSR practices can act to mitigate negative environmental impact, to date they have had limited positive effect on biodiversity conservation. ©2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

Assessment of range planting as a conservation practice

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Range Planting - Conservation Practice Standards provide guidelines for making decisions about seedbed preparation, planting methods, plant materials selection, seeding rate, seeding depth, timing of seeding, post-planting management, and weed-control. ...

7 CFR 1415.11 - Restoration agreements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... restoration agreement identifies conservation practices and activities necessary to restore or improve the... to determine the terms of the restoration plan. The conservation district may assist NRCS with determining eligible conservation practices and activities and approving restoration agreements. (c) Only...

The Role of County Surveyors and County Drainage Boards in Addressing Water Quality.

PubMed

Dunn, Mike; Mullendore, Nathan; de Jalon, Silvestre Garcia; Prokopy, Linda Stalker

2016-06-01

Water quality problems stemming from the Midwestern U.S. agricultural landscape have been widely recognized and documented. The Midwestern state of Indiana contains tens of thousands of miles of regulated drains that represent biotic communities that comprise the headwaters of the state's many rivers and creeks. Traditional management, however, reduces these waterways to their most basic function as conveyances, ignoring their role in the ecosystem as hosts for biotic and abiotic processes that actively regulate the fate and transport of nutrients and farm chemicals. Novel techniques and practices such as the two-stage ditch, denitrifying bioreactor, and constructed wetlands represent promising alternatives to traditional management approaches, yet many of these tools remain underutilized. To date, conservation efforts and research have focused on increasing the voluntary adoption of practices among agricultural producers. Comparatively little attention has been paid to the roles of the drainage professionals responsible for the management of waterways and regulated drains. To address this gap, we draw on survey responses from 39 county surveyors and 85 drainage board members operating in Indiana. By examining the backgrounds, attitudes, and actions of these individuals, we consider their role in advocating and implementing novel conservation practices.

7 CFR 1466.20 - Application for contracts and selecting applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... concerning soil, water and air quality; wildlife habitat; and ground and surface water conservation; (vi... include water conservation or irrigation efficiency practices, the State Conservationist will give... conservation practices; (ii) The magnitude of the expected environmental benefits resulting from the...

7 CFR 1466.20 - Application for contracts and selecting applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... concerning soil, water and air quality; wildlife habitat; and ground and surface water conservation; (vi... include water conservation or irrigation efficiency practices, the State Conservationist will give... conservation practices; (ii) The magnitude of the expected environmental benefits resulting from the...

7 CFR 1466.20 - Application for contracts and selecting applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... concerning soil, water and air quality; wildlife habitat; and ground and surface water conservation; (vi... include water conservation or irrigation efficiency practices, the State Conservationist will give... conservation practices; (ii) The magnitude of the expected environmental benefits resulting from the...

7 CFR 636.9 - Cost-share agreements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... of one year after the completion of conservation practices identified in the WPO and a maximum of 10... and maintenance for each conservation practice and the Agency expectation that WHIP-funded...

The biogeography of Mid-Atlantic CEAP wetlands

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background/Question/Methods: The national U.S.D.A. Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) is a multi-agency effort to quantify the environmental benefits of conservation practices. The goal of CEAP is to determine the effectiveness of wetland conservation practices and programs, including im...

Summoning compassion to address the challenges of conservation.

PubMed

Wallach, Arian D; Bekoff, Marc; Batavia, Chelsea; Nelson, Michael P; Ramp, Daniel

2018-04-27

Conservation practice is informed by science, but also reflects ethical beliefs about how we ought to value and interact with the Earth's biota. As human activities continue to drive extinctions and diminish critical life-sustaining ecosystem processes, achieving conservation goals becomes increasingly urgent. In our determination to react decisively, conservation challenges can be handled without due deliberation, particularly when wildlife individuals are sacrificed "for the greater good" of wildlife collectives (populations, species, ecosystems). With growing recognition of the widespread sentience and sapience of many nonhuman animals, standard conservation practices that categorically prioritize collectives without due consideration for the wellbeing of individuals are ethically untenable. Here we highlight three overarching ethical orientations characterizing current and historical practices in conservation that suppress compassion: instrumentalism, collectivism, and nativism. We illustrate how establishing a commitment to compassion could re-orient conservation in more ethically expansive directions, which incorporate recognition of the intrinsic value of wildlife, the sentience of nonhuman animals, and the values of novel ecosystems, introduced species and their members. A compassionate conservation approach allays practices that intentionally and unnecessarily harm wildlife individuals, while aligning with critical conservation goals. Although the urgency of achieving effective outcomes for solving major conservation problems may enhance the appeal of quick and harsh measures, the costs are too high. Continuing to justify moral indifference when causing the suffering of wildlife individuals, particularly those who possess sophisticated capacities for emotion, consciousness, and sociality, risks estranging conservation practice from prevailing, and appropriate, social values. As conservationists and compassionate beings, we must demonstrate concern for both the long-term persistence of collectives and the wellbeing of individuals, prioritizing strategies that do both. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

THE INTEGRATION OF THE 241-Z BUILDING DECONTAMINATION & DECOMMISSIONING (D&D) UNDER COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE COMPENSATION & LIABILITY ACT (CERCLA) WITH RESOURCE CONSERVATION & RECOVERY ACT (RCRA) CLOSURE AT THE PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT (PFP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

HOPKINS, A.M.

2007-02-20

The 241-Z treatment and storage tanks, a hazardous waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal (TSD) unit permitted pursuant to the ''Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976'' (RCRA) and Washington State ''Hazardous Waste Management Act, RCW 70.105'', have been deactivated and are being actively decommissioned. The 241-Z TSD unit managed non-listed radioactive contaminated waste water, containing trace RCRA characteristic constituents. The 241-Z TSD unit consists of below grade tanks (D-4, D-5, D-7, D-8, and an overflow tank) located in a concrete containment vault, sample glovebox GB-2-241-ZA, and associated ancillary piping and equipment. The tank system is located beneath the 241-Z building.more » The 241-Z building is not a portion of the TSD unit. The sample glovebox is housed in the above-grade building. Waste managed at the TSD unit was received via underground mining from Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) sources. Tank D-6, located in the D-6 vault cell, is a past-practice tank that was taken out of service in 1972 and has never operated as a portion of the RCRA TSD unit. CERCLA actions address Tank D-6, its containment vault cell, and soil beneath the cell that was potentially contaminated during past-practice operations and any other potential past-practice contamination identified during 241-Z closure, while outside the scope of the ''Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Closure Plant, 241-Z Treatment and Storage Tanks''.« less

A Regional Assessment of the Effects of Conservation Practices on In-stream Water Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, A. M.; Alexander, R. B.; Arnold, J.; Norfleet, L.; Robertson, D. M.; White, M.

2011-12-01

The Conservation Effects Assessment Program (CEAP), initiated by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has the goal of quantifying the environmental benefits of agricultural conservation practices. As part of this effort, detailed farmer surveys were compiled to document the adoption of conservation practices. Survey data showed that up to 38 percent of cropland in the Upper Mississippi River basin is managed to reduce sediment, nutrient and pesticide loads from agricultural activities. The broader effects of these practices on downstream water quality are challenging to quantify. The USDA-NRCS recently reported results of a study that combined farmer surveys with process-based models to deduce the effect of conservation practices on sediment and chemical loads in farm runoff and downstream waters. As a follow-up collaboration, USGS and USDA scientists conducted a semi-empirical assessment of the same suite of practices using the USGS SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) modeling framework. SPARROW is a hybrid statistical and mechanistic stream water quality model of annual conditions that has been used extensively in studies of nutrient sources and delivery. In this assessment, the USDA simulations of the effects of conservation practices on loads in farm runoff were used as an explanatory variable (i.e., change in farm loads per unit area) in a component of an existing a SPARROW model of the Upper Midwest. The model was then re-calibrated and tested to determine whether the USDA estimate of conservation adoption intensity explained a statistically significant proportion of the spatial variability in stream nutrient loads in the Upper Mississippi River basin. The results showed that the suite of conservation practices that NRCS has catalogued as complete nutrient and sediment management are a statistically significant feature in the Midwestern landscape associated with phosphorous runoff and delivery to downstream waters. Effects on the delivery of nitrogen will be also be studied. Estimates of the magnitude of this effect using SPARROW indicated that phosphorus load reductions ranged from about 2 - 38% for various spatial scales. This is less than reported by the USDA CEAP simulations, which ranged from 15 - 49%. Nevertheless, the results indicated that conservation practices play a significant role in reducing phosphorus pollution from agricultural activities to downstream receiving water bodies.

USDA-NRCS conservation practice standard: amending soil properties with gypsum products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The US Department of Agriculture National Resource Conservation Service is tasked with providing support to preserve the nation’s natural resources. They provide farmers with financial and technical assistance to voluntarily put conservation practices on the ground by promoting methods to preserve ...

Assessment of range planting as a conservation practice

Treesearch

Stuart P. Hardegree; Thomas A. Jones; Bruce A. Roundy; Nancy L. Shaw; Thomas A. Monaco

2016-01-01

Natural Resource Conservation Service Range Planting - Conservation Practice Standards provide guidelines for making decisions about seedbed preparation, planting methods, plant materials selection, seeding rate, seeding depth, timing of seeding, postplanting management, and weed control. Adoption of these standards is expected to contribute to successful...

An Interdisciplinary Education Initiative to Promote Blood Conservation in Cardiac Surgery.

PubMed

Goda, Tamara S; Sherrod, Brad; Kindell, Linda

Transfusion practices vary extensively for patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures, leading to high utilization of blood products despite evidence that transfusions negatively impact outcomes. An important factor affecting transfusion practice is recognition of the importance of teams in cardiac surgery care delivery. This article reports an evidenced-based practice (EBP) initiative constructed using the Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) 2011 Blood Conservation Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) to standardize transfusion practice across the cardiac surgery team at a large academic medical center. Project outcomes included: a) Improvement in clinician knowledge related to the STS Blood Conservation CPGs; and b) Decreased blood product utilization for patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures. Participants' scores reflected an improvement in the overall knowledge of the STS CPGs noting a 31.1% (p = 0.012) increase in the number of participants whose practice reflected the Blood Conservation CPGs post intervention. Additionally, there was a reduction in overall blood product utilization for all patients undergoing cardiac surgery procedures post intervention (p = 0.005). Interdisciplinary education based on the STS Blood Conservation CPGs is an effective way to reduce transfusion practice variability and decrease utilization of blood products during cardiac surgery.

75 FR 36062 - Availability of Conservation Seat and Diving Operations Seat for the Flower Garden Banks National...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-24

... Conservation Seat and Diving Operations Seat for the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Advisory... Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: Conservation and Diving Operations... Jennifer Morgan, NOAA--Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 4700 Avenue U, Bldg. 216, Galveston...

Use of multispectral Ikonos imagery for discriminating between conventional and conservation agricultural tillage practices

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vina, Andres; Peters, Albert J.; Ji, Lei

2003-01-01

There is a global concern about the increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. One method being discussed to encourage greenhouse gas mitigation efforts is based on a trading system whereby carbon emitters can buy effective mitigation efforts from farmers implementing conservation tillage practices. These practices sequester carbon from the atmosphere, and such a trading system would require a low-cost and accurate method of verification. Remote sensing technology can offer such a verification technique. This paper is focused on the use of standard image processing procedures applied to a multispectral Ikonos image, to determine whether it is possible to validate that farmers have complied with agreements to implement conservation tillage practices. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed in order to isolate image variance in cropped fields. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) statistical procedures were used to evaluate the capability of each Ikonos band and each principal component to discriminate between conventional and conservation tillage practices. A logistic regression model was implemented on the principal component most effective in discriminating between conventional and conservation tillage, in order to produce a map of the probability of conventional tillage. The Ikonos imagery, in combination with ground-reference information, proved to be a useful tool for verification of conservation tillage practices.

76 FR 23538 - Notice of Intent To Reinstate a Previously Approved Information Collection.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-27

... management, and conservation practices in order to quantify and assess current impacts of farming practices... (USDA) in 2003 as a multi-agency effort to quantify the environmental effects of conservation practices...) conducted on-site interviews with farmers during 2003-2006 to document tillage and irrigation practices...

Critical Practice and the Public Pedagogy of Environmental and Conservation Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blewitt, John

2011-01-01

This article addresses the reluctance of mainstream corporate and commercial media to critically address major environmental and conservation issues. The resulting public pedagogy largely reproduces the neoliberal ideology informing much conservation practice and discourse. Nonetheless, the media retains an unrealised critical educative potential…

A Three-Phase Microgrid Restoration Model Considering Unbalanced Operation of Distributed Generation

DOE PAGES

Wang, Zeyu; Wang, Jianhui; Chen, Chen

2016-12-07

Recent severe outages highlight the urgency of improving grid resiliency in the U.S. Microgrid formation schemes are proposed to restore critical loads after outages occur. Most distribution networks have unbalanced configurations that are not represented in sufficient detail by single-phase models. This study provides a microgrid formation plan that adopts a three-phase network model to represent unbalanced distribution networks. The problem formulation has a quadratic objective function with mixed-integer linear constraints. The three-phase network model enables us to examine the three-phase power outputs of distributed generators (DGs), preventing unbalanced operation that might trip DGs. Because the DG unbalanced operation constraintmore » is non-convex, an iterative process is presented that checks whether the unbalanced operation limits for DGs are satisfied after each iteration of optimization. We also develop a relatively conservative linear approximation on the unbalanced operation constraint to handle larger networks. Compared with the iterative solution process, the conservative linear approximation is able to accelerate the solution process at the cost of sacrificing optimality to a limited extent. Simulation in the IEEE 34 node and IEEE 123 test feeders indicate that the proposed method yields more practical microgrid formations results. In addition, this paper explores the coordinated operation of DGs and energy storage (ES) installations. The unbalanced three-phase outputs of ESs combined with the relatively balanced outputs of DGs could supply unbalanced loads. In conclusion, the case study also validates the DG-ES coordination.« less

A Three-Phase Microgrid Restoration Model Considering Unbalanced Operation of Distributed Generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Zeyu; Wang, Jianhui; Chen, Chen

Recent severe outages highlight the urgency of improving grid resiliency in the U.S. Microgrid formation schemes are proposed to restore critical loads after outages occur. Most distribution networks have unbalanced configurations that are not represented in sufficient detail by single-phase models. This study provides a microgrid formation plan that adopts a three-phase network model to represent unbalanced distribution networks. The problem formulation has a quadratic objective function with mixed-integer linear constraints. The three-phase network model enables us to examine the three-phase power outputs of distributed generators (DGs), preventing unbalanced operation that might trip DGs. Because the DG unbalanced operation constraintmore » is non-convex, an iterative process is presented that checks whether the unbalanced operation limits for DGs are satisfied after each iteration of optimization. We also develop a relatively conservative linear approximation on the unbalanced operation constraint to handle larger networks. Compared with the iterative solution process, the conservative linear approximation is able to accelerate the solution process at the cost of sacrificing optimality to a limited extent. Simulation in the IEEE 34 node and IEEE 123 test feeders indicate that the proposed method yields more practical microgrid formations results. In addition, this paper explores the coordinated operation of DGs and energy storage (ES) installations. The unbalanced three-phase outputs of ESs combined with the relatively balanced outputs of DGs could supply unbalanced loads. In conclusion, the case study also validates the DG-ES coordination.« less

40 CFR 73.80 - Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... for conservation and renewable energy. 73.80 Section 73.80 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... and Renewable Energy Reserve § 73.80 Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy. (a) General. The Administrator will allocate allowances from the Conservation and...

40 CFR 73.80 - Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... for conservation and renewable energy. 73.80 Section 73.80 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... and Renewable Energy Reserve § 73.80 Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy. (a) General. The Administrator will allocate allowances from the Conservation and...

40 CFR 73.80 - Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... for conservation and renewable energy. 73.80 Section 73.80 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... and Renewable Energy Reserve § 73.80 Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy. (a) General. The Administrator will allocate allowances from the Conservation and...

40 CFR 73.80 - Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... for conservation and renewable energy. 73.80 Section 73.80 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... and Renewable Energy Reserve § 73.80 Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy. (a) General. The Administrator will allocate allowances from the Conservation and...

40 CFR 73.80 - Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... for conservation and renewable energy. 73.80 Section 73.80 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... and Renewable Energy Reserve § 73.80 Operation of allowance reserve program for conservation and renewable energy. (a) General. The Administrator will allocate allowances from the Conservation and...

25 CFR 12.4 - Who supervises the Bureau of Indian Affairs uniformed police, detention, and conservation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... police, detention, and conservation enforcement functions? 12.4 Section 12.4 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN... Who supervises the Bureau of Indian Affairs uniformed police, detention, and conservation enforcement... uniformed police operations, detention facilities, and conservation enforcement operations at any agency...

A population-based audit of surgical practice and outcomes of oncoplastic breast conservations in Scotland - An analysis of 589 patients.

PubMed

Romics, Laszlo; Macaskill, E Jane; Fernandez, Teresa; Simpson, Louise; Morrow, Elizabeth; Pitsinis, Vassilis; Tovey, Sian; Barber, Matthew; Masannat, Yazan; Stallard, Sheila; Weiler-Mithoff, Eva; Malyon, Andrew; Mansell, James; Campbell, Esther J; Doughty, Julie; Dixon, J Michael

2018-04-13

Current evidence for oncoplastic breast conservation (OBC) is based on single institutional series. Therefore, we carried out a population-based audit of OBC practice and outcomes in Scotland. A predefined database of patients treated with OBC was completed retrospectively in all breast units practicing OBC in Scotland. 589 patients were included from 11 units. Patients were diagnosed between September 2005 and March 2017. High volume units performed a mean of 19.3 OBCs per year vs. low volume units who did 11.1 (p = 0.012). 23 different surgical techniques were used. High volume units offered a wider range of techniques (8-14) than low volume units (3-6) (p = 0.004). OBC was carried out as a joint operation involving a breast and a plastic surgeon in 389 patients. Immediate contralateral symmetrisation rate was significantly higher when OBC was performed as a joint operation (70.7% vs. not joint operations: 29.8%; p < 0.001). The incomplete excision rate was 10.4% and was significantly higher after surgery for invasive lobular carcinoma (18.9%; p = 0.0292), but was significantly lower after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (3%; p = 0.031). 9.2% of patients developed major complications requiring hospital admission. Overall the complication rate was significantly lower after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.035). The 5 year local recurrence rate was 2.7%, which was higher after OBC for DCIS (8.3%) than invasive ductal cancer (1.6%; p = 0.026). 5-year disease-free survival was 91.7%, overall survival was 93.8%, and cancer-specific survival was 96.1%. This study demonstrated that measured outcomes of OBC in a population-based multi-centre setting can be comparable to the outcomes of large volume single centre series. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Right practice, right place: A conservation planning toolbox for meeting water quality goals in the Corn Belt

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With increasing recognition that regional nutrient pollution problems will only be solved using edge-of-field and beyond-field practices, conservation planners now face the challenge of identifying the most appropriate practices and practice locations to deliver water quality outcomes. We have deve...

Sharks and people: insight into the global practices of tourism operators and their attitudes to shark behaviour.

PubMed

Richards, Kirsty; O'Leary, Bethan C; Roberts, Callum M; Ormond, Rupert; Gore, Mauvis; Hawkins, Julie P

2015-02-15

Shark tourism is a popular but controversial activity. We obtained insights into this industry via a global e-mailed questionnaire completed by 45 diving/snorkelling operators who advertised shark experiences (shark operators) and 49 who did not (non-shark operators). 42% of shark operators used an attractant to lure sharks and 93% stated they had a formal code of conduct which 86% enforced "very strictly". While sharks were reported to normally ignore people, 9 operators had experienced troublesome behaviour from them. Whilst our research corroborates previous studies indicating minimal risk to humans from most shark encounters, a precautionary approach to provisioning is required to avoid potential ecological and societal effects of shark tourism. Codes of conduct should always stipulate acceptable diver behaviour and appropriate diver numbers and shark operators should have a moral responsibility to educate their customers about the need for shark conservation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integrated modeling approach for estimating the water quality benefits of conservation practices at the river basin scale.

PubMed

Santhi, C; Kannan, N; White, M; Di Luzio, M; Arnold, J G; Wang, X; Williams, J R

2014-01-01

The USDA initiated the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) to quantify the environmental benefits of conservation practices at regional and national scales. For this assessment, a sampling and modeling approach is used. This paper provides a technical overview of the modeling approach used in CEAP cropland assessment to estimate the off-site water quality benefits of conservation practices using the Ohio River Basin (ORB) as an example. The modeling approach uses a farm-scale model, Agricultural Policy Environmental Extender (APEX), and a watershed scale model (the Soil and Water Assessment Tool [SWAT]) and databases in the Hydrologic Unit Modeling for the United States system. Databases of land use, soils, land use management, topography, weather, point sources, and atmospheric depositions were developed to derive model inputs. APEX simulates the cultivated cropland, Conserve Reserve Program land, and the practices implemented on them, whereas SWAT simulates the noncultivated land (e.g., pasture, range, urban, and forest) and point sources. Simulation results from APEX are input into SWAT. SWAT routes all sources, including APEX's, to the basin outlet through each eight-digit watershed. Each basin is calibrated for stream flow, sediment, and nutrient loads at multiple gaging sites and turned in for simulating the effects of conservation practice scenarios on water quality. Results indicate that sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus loads delivered to the Mississippi River from ORB could be reduced by 16, 15, and 23%, respectively, due to current conservation practices. Modeling tools are useful to provide science-based information for assessing existing conservation programs, developing future programs, and developing insights on load reductions necessary for hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

7 CFR 631.11 - Conservation practice maintenance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... resource management systems or conservation practices applied under the contract for the duration of the... contract. (b) If the life span of the practices or resource management systems extends beyond the period of....11 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES...

Conserving waste rice for wintering waterfowl in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kross, J.P.; Kaminski, R.M.; Reinecke, K.J.; Pearse, A.T.

2008-01-01

Rice lost before or during harvest operations (hereafter waste rice) provides important food for waterfowl in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA, but >70% of waste rice is lost during autumn. We conducted experiments in 19 production rice fields in Arkansas and Mississippi during autumns 2003 and 2004 to evaluate the ability of common postharvest practices (i.e., burn, mow, roll, disk, or standing stubble) to conserve waste rice. We detected a postharvest treatment effect and a positive effect of initial abundance of waste rice on late-autumn abundance of waste rice (P < 0.022). Standing stubble contained the greatest abundance of waste rice followed by burned, mowed, rolled, and disked stubble. We recommend standing stubble or burning to maximize waste rice abundance for wintering waterfowl.

Conserving waste rice for wintering waterfowl in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kross, J.P.; Kaminski, R.M.; Reinecke, K.J.; Pearse, A.T.

2008-01-01

Rice lost before or during harvest operations (hereafter waste rice) provides important food for waterfowl in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA, but >70% of waste rice is lost during autumn. We conducted experiments in 19 production rice fields in Arkansas and Mississippi during autumns 2003 and 2004 to evaluate the ability of common postharvest practices (i.e., burn, mow, roll, disk, or standing stubble) to conserve waste rice. We detected a postharvest treatment effect and a positive effect of initial abundance of waste rice on late-autumn abundance of waste rice (P ??? 0.022). Standing stubble contained the greatest abundance of waste rice followed by burned, mowed, rolled, and disked stubble. We recommend standing stubble or burning to maximize waste rice abundance for wintering waterfowl.

Integrating Federal and State data records to report progress in establishing agricultural conservation practices on Chesapeake Bay farms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hively, W. Dean; Devereux, Olivia H.; Claggett, Peter

2013-01-01

In response to the Executive Order for Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration (E.O. #13508, May 12, 2009), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) took on the task of acquiring and assessing agricultural conservation practice data records for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs, and transferred those datasets in aggregated format to State jurisdictional agencies for use in reporting conservation progress to the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership (CBP Partnership). Under the guidelines and regulations that have been developed to protect and restore water-quality in the Chesapeake Bay, the six State jurisdictions that fall within the Chesapeake Bay watershed are required to report their progress in promoting agricultural conservation practices to the CBP Partnership on an annual basis. The installation and adoption of agricultural best management practices is supported by technical and financial assistance from both Federal and State conservation programs. The farm enrollment data for USDA conservation programs are confidential, but agencies can obtain access to the privacy-protected data if they are established as USDA Conservation Cooperators. The datasets can also be released to the public if they are first aggregated to protect farmer privacy. In 2012, the USGS used its Conservation Cooperator status to obtain implementation data for conservation programs sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) for farms within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Three jurisdictions (Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) used the USGS-provided aggregated dataset to report conservation progress in 2012, whereas the remaining three jurisdictions (Maryland, New York, and Virginia) used jurisdictional Conservation Cooperator Agreements to obtain privacy-protected data directly from the USDA. This report reviews the status of conservation data sharing between the USDA and the various jurisdictions, discusses the methods that were used by the USGS in 2012 to collect and process USDA agricultural conservation data, and also documents methods that were used by the jurisdictions to integrate Federal and State data records, reduce double counting, and provide an accurate reporting of conservation practices to the CBP Partnership’s Annual Progress Review. A similar tracking, reporting, and assessment will occur in future years, as State and Federal governments and nongovernmental organizations continue to work with farmers and conservation districts to reduce the impacts of agriculture on water-quality.

An integrated modeling approach for estimating the water quality benefits of conservation practices at the river basin scale

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The USDA initiated the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) to quantify the environmental benefits of conservation practices at regional and national scales. For this assessment, a sampling and modeling approach is used. This paper provides a technical overview of the modeling approach use...

Estimating the effects of agricultural conservation practices on phosphorus loads in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River basin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agriculture in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River basin (MARB) is important in terms of both the national economy and the nutrients discharged to the basin and the Gulf of Mexico. Conservation practices are installed on cropland to reduce the nutrient losses. A recent study by the Conservation Effec...

Genomics and the challenging translation into conservation practice

Treesearch

Aaron B. A. Shafer; Jochen B. W. Wolf; Paulo C. Alves; Linnea Bergstrom; Michael W. Bruford; Ioana Brannstrom; Guy Colling; Love Dalen; Luc De Meester; Robert Ekblom; Katie D. Fawcett; Simone Fior; Mehrdad Hajibabaei; Jason A. Hill; A. Rus Hoezel; Jacob Hoglund; Evelyn L. Jensen; Johannes Krause; Torsten N. Kristensen; Michael Krutzen; John K. McKay; Anita J. Norman; Rob Ogden; E. Martin Osterling; N. Joop Ouborg; John Piccolo; Danijela Popovic; Craig R. Primmer; Floyd A. Reed; Marie Roumet; Jordi Salmona; Tamara Schenekar; Michael K. Schwartz; Gernot Segelbacher; Helen Senn; Jens Thaulow; Mia Valtonen; Andrew Veale; Philippine Vergeer; Nagarjun Vijay; Carles Vila; Matthias Weissensteiner; Lovisa Wennerstrom; Christopher W. Wheat; Piotr Zielinski

2015-01-01

The global loss of biodiversity continues at an alarming rate. Genomic approaches have been suggested as a promising tool for conservation practice as scaling up to genome-wide data can improve traditional conservation genetic inferences and provide qualitatively novel insights. However, the generation of genomic data and subsequent analyses and interpretations remain...

Development and Validation of the Texas Best Management Practice Evaluation Tool (TBET)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Conservation planners need simple yet accurate tools to predict sediment and nutrient losses from agricultural fields to guide conservation practice implementation and increase cost-effectiveness. The Texas Best management practice Evaluation Tool (TBET), which serves as an input/output interpreter...

Comparison of collision operators for the geodesic acoustic mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yang; Gao, Zhe

2015-04-01

The collisional damping rate and real frequency of the geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) are solved from a drift kinetic model with different collision operators. As the ion collision rate increases, the damping rate increases at low collision rate but decays at high ion collision rate. Different collision operators do not change the overall trend but influence the magnitude of the damping rate. The collision damping is much overestimated with the number-conserving-only Krook operator; on the other hand, using the Lorentz operator with a constant collision rate, the damping is overestimated at low collision rate but underestimated at high collision rate. The results from the Krook operator with both number and energy conservation terms, the Lorentz operator with an energy-dependent collision rate and the full Hirshman-Sigmar-Clarke collision operator are very close. Meanwhile, as the ion collision rate increases, the GAM frequency decreases from the collisionless value, \\sqrt {7/4+τ} {vti}/R , to \\sqrt {1+τ} {vti}/R for the number-conserving-only Krook operator, but to \\sqrt {5/3+τ} {vti}/R for the other four operators, which conserve both number and energy, where τ, vti and R are the ratio of electron temperature to ion temperature, the ion thermal velocity and the major radius, respectively. The results imply that the property of energy conservation of the collision operator is important to the dynamics of the GAM as well as that of number conservation, which may provide guidance in choosing collision operators in further study of the zonal flow (ZF) dynamics, such as the nonlinear simulation of the ZF-turbulence system.

A survey of methods for implementing and documenting water conservation in New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Linsey, Kristin S.; Reynolds, Richard J.

2013-01-01

Water conservation methods and best management practices (BMPs) for water conservation are described for major categories of non-drinking-water users, including—but not limited to—industrial, commercial, power-generation, agricultural, and institutional categories. The BMPs were drawn from a literature search of reports published by state agencies, Federal agencies, the U.S. military, colleges and universities, and water-related organizations that have studied and evaluated various water conservation methods in the municipal supply, industrial, commercial, institutional, and agricultural water-use sectors. An annotated bibliography of references pertinent to water conservation and (or) best management practices in water conservation is included.

Navigating the socio-bio-geo-chemistry and engineering of nitrogen management in two illinois tile-drained watersheds.

PubMed

David, Mark B; Flint, Courtney G; Gentry, Lowell E; Dolan, Mallory K; Czapar, George F; Cooke, Richard A; Lavaire, Tito

2015-03-01

Reducing nitrate loads from corn and soybean, tile-drained, agricultural production systems in the Upper Mississippi River basin is a major challenge that has not been met. We evaluated a range of possible management practices from biophysical and social science perspectives that could reduce nitrate losses from tile-drained fields in the Upper Salt Fork and Embarras River watersheds of east-central Illinois. Long-term water quality monitoring on these watersheds showed that nitrate losses averaged 30.6 and 23.0 kg nitrate N ha yr (Embarras and Upper Salt Fork watersheds, respectively), with maximum nitrate concentrations between 14 and 18 mg N L. With a series of on-farm studies, we conducted tile monitoring to evaluate several possible nitrate reduction conservation practices. Fertilizer timing and cover crops reduced nitrate losses (30% reduction in a year with large nitrate losses), whereas drainage water management on one tile system demonstrated the problems with possible retrofit designs (water flowed laterally from the drainage water management tile to the free drainage system nearby). Tile woodchip bioreactors had good nitrate removal in 2012 (80% nitrate reduction), and wetlands had previously been shown to remove nitrate (45% reductions) in the Embarras watershed. Interviews and surveys indicated strong environmental concern and stewardship ethics among landowners and farmers, but the many financial and operational constraints that they operate under limited their willingness to adopt conservation practices that targeted nitrate reduction. Under the policy and production systems currently in place, large-scale reductions in nitrate losses from watersheds such as these in east-central Illinois will be difficult. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Practicing Conservation Agriculture to mitigate and adapt to Climate Change in Jordan.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khresat, Saeb

2016-04-01

Climate change scenarios indicate that Jordan and the Middle East could suffer from reduced agricultural productivity and water availability among other negative impacts. Based on the projection models for the area, average temperature in Jordan is projected to increase between 1.2 and 1.6 °C by 2050. Projections for precipitation trends are projected to decrease by 16% by the year 2050. Evaporation is likely to increase due to higher temperatures. This is likely to increase the incidence of drought potential since precipitation is projected to decrease. The dominant form of agriculture system in Jordan is based on intensive tillage. This form of tillage has resulted in large losses of organic soil carbon, weaker soil structure, and cause compaction. It has negative effects on soil aeration, root development and water infiltration among other factors. There is a need to transform farming practices to conservation agriculture to sequester carbon so that climate change mitigation becomes an inherent property of future farming systems. Conservation Agriculture, a system avoiding or minimizing soil disturbance, combined with soil cover and crop diversification, is considered to be a sustainable production system that can also sequester carbon unlike tillage agriculture. Conservation agriculture promotes minimal disturbance of the soil by tillage (zero tillage), balanced application of chemical inputs and careful management of residues and wastes. This study was conducted to develop a clear understanding of the impacts and benefits of the two most common types of agriculture, traditional tillage agriculture and conservation agriculture with respect to their effects on land productivity and on soil carbon pools. The study results indicated that conservation agriculture contributed to the reduction of the farming systems' greenhouse gas emissions and enhance its role as carbon sinks. Also, it was found that by shifting to conservation agriculture labor cost needed for land preparation through tillage systems decreased by 40-60% as a result of fuel and time-saving in the operations. The mean biological and grain yield by applying conservation agriculture have increased between 14-35% compared to conventional agriculture. It is concluded that there is a correlation between CO2 loss and tillage intensity and that a shift from traditional agriculture to Conservation agriculture can contribute to making agricultural systems more resilient to climate change.

Turning scientific approaches into practical conservation actions: the case of Comunidad Indigena de Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro, Mexico.

PubMed

Velázquez, A; Bocco, G; Torres, A

2001-05-01

Optimum natural resource management and biodiversity conservation are desirable goals. These, however, often exclude each other, since maximum economic benefits have promoted drastic reductions in biodiversity throughout the world. This dilemma confronts local stakeholders, who usually go for maximizing economic inputs, whereas other social (e.g., academic) sectors are favor conservation practices. In this paper we describe the way two scientific approaches--landscape and participatory research--were used to develop sound and durable land use scenarios. These two approaches included expert knowledge of both social and environmental conditions in indigenous communities. Our major emphasis was given to detect spatially explicit land use scenarios and capacity building in order to construct a decision support system operated by stakeholders of the Comunidad Indigena de Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro in Mexico. The system for decision-making was fed with data from inventories of both abiotic and biotic biodiversity components. All research, implementation, and monitoring activities were conducted in close collaboration with members of the indigenous community. As a major result we obtained a number of forest alternative uses that favor emerging markets and make this indigenous community less dependent on a single market. Furthermore, skilled members of the community are now running the automated system for decision-making. In conclusion, our results were better expressed as products with direct benefits in local livelihoods rather than pure academic outputs.

The architecture and conservation pattern of whole-cell control circuitry.

PubMed

McAdams, Harley H; Shapiro, Lucy

2011-05-27

The control circuitry that directs and paces Caulobacter cell cycle progression involves the entire cell operating as an integrated system. This control circuitry monitors the environment and the internal state of the cell, including the cell topology, as it orchestrates orderly activation of cell cycle subsystems and Caulobacter's asymmetric cell division. The proteins of the Caulobacter cell cycle control system and its internal organization are co-conserved across many alphaproteobacteria species, but there are great differences in the regulatory apparatus' functionality and peripheral connectivity to other cellular subsystems from species to species. This pattern is similar to that observed for the "kernels" of the regulatory networks that regulate development of metazoan body plans. The Caulobacter cell cycle control system has been exquisitely optimized as a total system for robust operation in the face of internal stochastic noise and environmental uncertainty. When sufficient details accumulate, as for Caulobacter cell cycle regulation, the system design has been found to be eminently rational and indeed consistent with good design practices for human-designed asynchronous control systems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Setting practical conservation priorities for birds in the Western Andes of Colombia.

PubMed

Ocampo-Peñuela, Natalia; Pimm, Stuart L

2014-10-01

We aspired to set conservation priorities in ways that lead to direct conservation actions. Very large-scale strategic mapping leads to familiar conservation priorities exemplified by biodiversity hotspots. In contrast, tactical conservation actions unfold on much smaller geographical extents and they need to reflect the habitat loss and fragmentation that have sharply restricted where species now live. Our aspirations for direct, practical actions were demanding. First, we identified the global, strategic conservation priorities and then downscaled to practical local actions within the selected priorities. In doing this, we recognized the limitations of incomplete information. We started such a process in Colombia and used the results presented here to implement reforestation of degraded land to prevent the isolation of a large area of cloud forest. We used existing range maps of 171 bird species to identify priority conservation areas that would conserve the greatest number of species at risk in Colombia. By at risk species, we mean those that are endemic and have small ranges. The Western Andes had the highest concentrations of such species-100 in total-but the lowest densities of national parks. We then adjusted the priorities for this region by refining these species ranges by selecting only areas of suitable elevation and remaining habitat. The estimated ranges of these species shrank by 18-100% after accounting for habitat and suitable elevation. Setting conservation priorities on the basis of currently available range maps excluded priority areas in the Western Andes and, by extension, likely elsewhere and for other taxa. By incorporating detailed maps of remaining natural habitats, we made practical recommendations for conservation actions. One recommendation was to restore forest connections to a patch of cloud forest about to become isolated from the main Andes. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Understanding Predictors of Nutrient Management Practice Diversity in Midwestern Agriculture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Hanna; Arbuckle, J. Gordon, Jr.

2017-01-01

Agriculture's negative effect on water quality has become increasingly well documented. Farmers have a range of conservation practices available, yet rate of adoption is not optimal. Extension and other agricultural stakeholders play a key role in promotion of conservation practice adoption. We used survey data to examine relationships between…

7 CFR 636.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... out a local soil and water conservation program. Such district or unit of government may be referred to as a “conservation district,” “soil conservation district,” “soil and water conservation district... name. Conservation practice means one or more conservation improvements and activities, including...

A call for conservation scientists to evaluate opportunities and risks from operation of vertical axis wind turbines

USGS Publications Warehouse

Santangeli, Andrea; Katzner, Todd E.

2015-01-01

A new conservation paradigm (Kareiva and Marvier, 2012) emphasizes the need for scientists to embrace a holistic approach taking into account the social and natural dimensions of conservation in human-dominated landscapes. While there is heavy debate over the new approach (Tallis and Lubchenco, 2014), most conservation scientists seem to agree on to the need to cooperate with corporations when such interaction can benefit people and the environment (Miller et al., 2014;Tallis and Lubchenco, 2014). Cooperation can be most productive when established in the early phases of development, but this requires a high capacity for forward looking pre-emptive action (i.e., anticipating potential forthcoming issues before they arise; Sutherland and Woodroof, 2009). This framework is particularly salient for rapidly developing and expanding technologies such as those for harvesting renewable energy sources. Here the stakes are very high, as they concern mitigating negative consequences to global climate while generating energy without impacting wildlife. In this vein, past experience is instructional. The environmental impacts of biofuels and wind, among others, have been identified and evaluated rather late (Sutherland and Woodroof, 2009), so that implementation of best management practices on existing facilities is now often prohibitively expensive.

Reducing marine mammal bycatch in global fisheries: An economics approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lent, Rebecca; Squires, Dale

2017-06-01

The broader ecosystem impacts of fishing continue to present a challenge to scientists and resource managers around the world. Bycatch is of greatest concern for marine mammals, for which fishery bycatch and entanglement is the number one cause of direct mortality. Climate change will only add to the challenge, as marine species and fishing practices adapt to a changing environment, creating a dynamic pattern of overlap between fishing and species (both target and bycatch). Economists suggest policy instruments for reducing bycatch that move away from top-down, command-and-control measures (e.g. effort reduction, time/area closures, gear restrictions, bycatch quotas) towards an approach that creates incentives to reduce bycatch (e.g. transferable bycatch allowances, taxes, and other measures). The advantages of this flexible, incentive-oriented approach are even greater in a changing and increasingly variable environment, as regulatory measures would have to be adapted constantly to keep up with climate change. Unlike the regulatory process, individual operators in the fishery sector can make adjustments to their harvesting practices as soon as the incentives for such changes are apparent and inputs or operations can be modified. This paper explores policy measures that create economic incentives not only to reduce marine mammal bycatch, but also to increase compliance and induce technological advances by fishery operators. Economists also suggest exploration of direct economic incentives as have been used in other conservation programs, such as payments for economic services, in an approach that addresses marine mammal bycatch as part of a larger conservation strategy. Expanding the portfolio of mandatory and potentially, voluntary, measures to include novel approaches will provide a broader array of opportunities for successful stewardship of the marine environment.

Limiting excessive postoperative blood transfusion after cardiac procedures. A review.

PubMed Central

Ferraris, V A; Ferraris, S P

1995-01-01

Analysis of blood product use after cardiac operations reveals that a few patients (< or = 20%) consume the majority of blood products (> 80%). The risk factors that predispose a minority of patients to excessive blood use include patient-related factors, transfusion practices, drug-related causes, and procedure-related factors. Multivariate studies suggest that patient age and red blood cell volume are independent patient-related variables that predict excessive blood product transfusion after cardiac procedures. Other factors include preoperative aspirin ingestion, type of operation, over- or underutilization of heparin during cardiopulmonary bypass, failure to correct hypothermia after cardiopulmonary bypass, and physician overtransfusion. A survey of the currently available blood conservation techniques reveals 5 that stand out as reliable methods: 1) high-dose aprotinin therapy, 2) preoperative erythropoietin therapy when time permits adequate dosage before operation, 3) hemodilution by harvest of whole blood immediately before cardiopulmonary bypass, 4) autologous predonation of blood, and 5) salvage of oxygenator blood after cardiopulmonary bypass. Other methods, such as the use of epsilon-aminocaproic acid or desmopressin, cell saving devices, reinfusion of shed mediastinal blood, and hemofiltration have been reported to be less reliable and may even be harmful in some high-risk patients. Consideration of the available data allows formulation of a 4-pronged plan for limiting excessive blood transfusion after surgery: 1) recognize the causes of excessive transfusion, including the importance of red blood cell volume, type of procedure being performed, preoperative aspirin ingestion, etc.; 2) establish a quality management program, including a survey of transfusion practices that emphasizes physician education and availability of real-time laboratory testing to guide transfusion therapy; 3) adopt a multimodal approach using institution-proven techniques; and 4) continually reassess blood product use and analyze the cost-benefits of blood conservation interventions. PMID:7580359

Classifying Residents who use Landscape Irrigation: Implications for Encouraging Water Conservation Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warner, Laura A.; Lamm, Alexa J.; Rumble, Joy N.; Martin, Emmett T.; Cantrell, Randall

2016-08-01

Large amounts of water applied as urban irrigation can often be reduced substantially without compromising esthetics. Thus, encouraging the adoption of water-saving technologies and practices is critical to preserving water resources, yet difficult to achieve. The research problem addressed in this study is the lack of characterization of residents who use urban irrigation, which hinders the design of effective behavior change programs. This study examined audience segmentation as an approach to encouraging change using current residential landscape practices. K-means cluster analysis identified three meaningful subgroups among residential landscape irrigation users ( N = 1,063): the water considerate majority ( n = 479, 45 %), water savvy conservationists ( n = 378, 36 %), and unconcerned water users ( n = 201, 19 %). An important finding was that normative beliefs, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control characteristics of the subgroups were significantly different with large and medium practical effect sizes. Future water conservation behaviors and perceived importance of water resources were also significantly different among subgroups. The water considerate majority demonstrated capacity to conserve, placed high value on water, and were likely to engage in behavior changes. This article contributes to the literature on individuals who use residential landscape irrigation, an important target audience with potential to conserve water through sustainable irrigation practices and technologies. Findings confirm applicability of the capacity to conserve water to audience segmentation and extend this concept by incorporating perceived value of water resources and likelihood of conservation. The results suggest practical application to promoting residential landscape water conservation behaviors based on important audience characteristics.

Effects of a coordinated farmland bird conservation project on farmers' intentions to implement nature conservation practices - Evidence from the Swedish Volunteer & Farmer Alliance.

PubMed

Josefsson, Jonas; Lokhorst, Anne Marike; Pärt, Tomas; Berg, Åke; Eggers, Sönke

2017-02-01

To increase the efficacy of agri-environmental schemes (AES), as well as farmers' environmental engagement, practitioners are increasingly turning to collective forms of agri-environmental management. As yet, empirical evidence from such approaches is relatively scarce. Here, we examined a farmland bird conservation project coordinated by BirdLife Sweden, the Swedish Volunteer & Farmer Alliance (SVFA). The key features of the SVFA were farmland bird inventories from volunteering birdwatchers and on-farm visits to individual farmers from conservation advisors for guidance on AES as well as unsubsidised practices. Using an ex-post application of the theory of planned behaviour across project participants and a randomly sampled control group of farmers we assessed how SVFA affected behavioural intentions relating to AES and unsubsidised conservation, and how the behaviour was affected by attitudes, perceived social norms and perceived behavioural control. We also included a measure of self-identity as a conservationist to assess its importance for behavioural intentions, and if SVFA stimulated this self-identity. SVFA farmers reported greater commitment to implementing AES and unsubsidised conservation, as compared to the control group. However, greater commitment was associated with more positive attitudes for unsubsidised conservation only and not for AES, underlining the inability of existing AES to prompt intrinsic motivation. There were also differences between farmers within SVFA, where farmers applying to the project were motivated by social influences, while farmers recruited by project managers were motivated by their personal beliefs regarding nature conservation. Finally, farmers' self-perceived ability to perform practices (i.e. perceived behavioural control) was important for their commitment to implementing AES as well as unsubsidised practices. Therefore, increasing farmers' awareness regarding the availability and, not least, practicability of available conservation options may be the key to successful biodiversity conservation in agricultural systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Investigation into the Socio-Psychological Determinants of Farmers' Conservation Decisions: Method and Implications for Policy, Extension and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wauters, E.; Mathijs, E.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this article is to present and apply a method to investigate farmers' socio-psychological determinants of conservation practice adoption, as an aid in extension, policy and conservation practice design. Design/methodology/approach: We use a sequential mixed method, starting with qualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 24),…

A conceptual framework for understanding the perspectives on the causes of the science-practice gap in ecology and conservation.

PubMed

Bertuol-Garcia, Diana; Morsello, Carla; N El-Hani, Charbel; Pardini, Renata

2018-05-01

Applying scientific knowledge to confront societal challenges is a difficult task, an issue known as the science-practice gap. In Ecology and Conservation, scientific evidence has been seldom used directly to support decision-making, despite calls for an increasing role of ecological science in developing solutions for a sustainable future. To date, multiple causes of the science-practice gap and diverse approaches to link science and practice in Ecology and Conservation have been proposed. To foster a transparent debate and broaden our understanding of the difficulties of using scientific knowledge, we reviewed the perceived causes of the science-practice gap, aiming to: (i) identify the perspectives of ecologists and conservation scientists on this problem, (ii) evaluate the predominance of these perspectives over time and across journals, and (iii) assess them in light of disciplines studying the role of science in decision-making. We based our review on 1563 sentences describing causes of the science-practice gap extracted from 122 articles and on discussions with eight scientists on how to classify these sentences. The resulting process-based framework describes three distinct perspectives on the relevant processes, knowledge and actors in the science-practice interface. The most common perspective assumes only scientific knowledge should support practice, perceiving a one-way knowledge flow from science to practice and recognizing flaws in knowledge generation, communication, and/or use. The second assumes that both scientists and decision-makers should contribute to support practice, perceiving a two-way knowledge flow between science and practice through joint knowledge-production/integration processes, which, for several reasons, are perceived to occur infrequently. The last perspective was very rare, and assumes scientists should put their results into practice, but they rarely do. Some causes (e.g. cultural differences between scientists and decision-makers) are shared with other disciplines, while others seem specific to Ecology and Conservation (e.g. inadequate research scales). All identified causes require one of three general types of solutions, depending on whether the causal factor can (e.g. inadequate research questions) or cannot (e.g. scientific uncertainty) be changed, or if misconceptions (e.g. undervaluing abstract knowledge) should be solved. The unchanged predominance of the one-way perspective over time may be associated with the prestige of evidence-based conservation and suggests that debates in Ecology and Conservation lag behind trends in other disciplines towards bidirectional views ascribing larger roles to decision-makers. In turn, the two-way perspective seems primarily restricted to research traditions historically isolated from mainstream conservation biology. All perspectives represented superficial views of decision-making by not accounting for limits to human rationality, complexity of decision-making contexts, fuzzy science-practice boundaries, ambiguity brought about by science, and different types of knowledge use. However, joint knowledge-production processes from the two-way perspective can potentially allow for democratic decision-making processes, explicit discussions of values and multiple types of science use. To broaden our understanding of the interface and foster productive science-practice linkages, we argue for dialogue among different research traditions within Ecology and Conservation, joint knowledge-production processes between scientists and decision-makers and interdisciplinarity across Ecology, Conservation and Political Science in both research and education. © 2017 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Learning & Knowledge Production in North Carolina Sea Turtle Conservation Communities of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Kathleen Carol

2010-01-01

This dissertation focused upon non-formal and informal learning practices and knowledge production amongst [adult] participants involved in local sea turtle conservation practices along the US Atlantic coast. In the United States, adult learning and adult education has historically occurred within non-formal settings (e.g., through community-based…

Laggards or Leaders: Conservers of Traditional Agricultural Knowledge in Bolivia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilles, Jere L.; Thomas, Justin L.; Valdivia, Corinne; Yucra, Edwin S.

2013-01-01

Many sustainable agricultural practices are based on local and traditional farming knowledge. This article examines the conservation and loss of three traditional practices in the Bolivian Altiplano that agronomic research has shown increase the resiliency of small farmers in the face of climate-related risks. These practices are the use of…

Designing systematic conservation assessments that promote effective implementation: best practice from South Africa.

PubMed

Knight, Andrew T; Driver, Amanda; Cowling, Richard M; Maze, Kristal; Desmet, Philip G; Lombard, Amanda T; Rouget, Mathieu; Botha, Mark A; Boshoff, Andre F; Castley, J Guy; Goodman, Peter S; Mackinnon, Kathy; Pierce, Shirley M; Sims-Castley, Rebecca; Stewart, Warrick I; von Hase, Amrei

2006-06-01

Systematic conservation assessment and conservation planning are two distinct fields of conservation science often confused as one and the same. Systematic conservation assessment is the technical, often computer-based, identification of priority areas for conservation. Conservation planning is composed of a systematic conservation assessment coupled with processes for development of an implementation strategy and stakeholder collaboration. The peer-reviewed conservation biology literature abounds with studies analyzing the performance of assessments (e.g., area-selection techniques). This information alone, however can never deliver effective conservation action; it informs conservation planning. Examples of how to translate systematic assessment outputs into knowledge and then use them for "doing" conservation are rare. South Africa has received generous international and domestic funding for regional conservation planning since the mid-1990s. We reviewed eight South African conservation planning processes and identified key ingredients of best practice for undertaking systematic conservation assessments in a way that facilitates implementing conservation action. These key ingredients include the design of conservation planning processes, skills for conservation assessment teams, collaboration with stakeholders, and interpretation and mainstreaming of products (e.g., maps) for stakeholders. Social learning institutions are critical to the successful operationalization of assessments within broader conservation planning processes and should include not only conservation planners but also diverse interest groups, including rural landowners, politicians, and government employees.

Community perceptions of state forest ownership and management: a case study of the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Roy, Anjan Kumer Dev; Alam, Khorshed; Gow, Jeff

2013-03-15

The Sundarbans Mangrove Forest (SMF) is the world's largest mangrove forest and it provides livelihoods to 3.5 million forest-dependent people in coastal Bangladesh. The first study aim was to analyse the efficacy of the state property regime in managing the forest through a close examination of the relationship between property rights and mangrove conservation practices. The second study aim was to explore forest-dependent communities' (FDCs) perceptions about their participation in management and conservation practices. The Schlager and Ostrom theoretical framework was adopted to examine the role of potential ownership variations in a common property resource regime. A survey of 412 FDC households was undertaken. Current management by the Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) does not result in implementation of mandated mangrove conservation practices. It was found that allocation of property rights to FDCs would be expected to increase conservation practices. 92% of respondents expressed the view that the evidenced rapid degradation over the past 30 years was due primarily to corruption in the BFD. About half of FDCs (46%) surveyed are willing to participate in mangrove conservation through involvement in management as proprietors. Consistent with Schlager and Ostrom's theory, the results indicate the necessity for de facto and de jure ownership and management change from a state to common property regime to ensure FDCs' participation in conservation practices. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Youth Conservation Corps Guidance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fish and Wildlife Service (Dept. of Interior), Washington, DC.

This document provides guidelines for operating Youth Conservation Corps programs under both the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. The guide contains 11 units that cover the following topics: (1) enrollees; (2) enrollee payroll; (3) enrollee problems; (4) Youth Conservation Corps staff; (5) accounting; (6) operations; (7)…

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 436... - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false [Reserved] A Appendix A to Part 436-Energy Conservation Standards for General Operations Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Appendix A to Part 436—Energy Conservation Standards for General Operations...

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 436... - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false [Reserved] A Appendix A to Part 436-Energy Conservation Standards for General Operations Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Appendix A to Part 436—Energy Conservation Standards for General Operations...

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 436... - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false [Reserved] A Appendix A to Part 436-Energy Conservation Standards for General Operations Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Appendix A to Part 436—Energy Conservation Standards for General Operations...

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 436... - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false [Reserved] A Appendix A to Part 436-Energy Conservation Standards for General Operations Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Appendix A to Part 436—Energy Conservation Standards for General Operations...

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 436... - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false [Reserved] A Appendix A to Part 436-Energy Conservation Standards for General Operations Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Appendix A to Part 436—Energy Conservation Standards for General Operations...

Increased Soluble Phosphorus Loads to Lake Erie: Unintended Consequences of Conservation Practices?

PubMed

Jarvie, Helen P; Johnson, Laura T; Sharpley, Andrew N; Smith, Douglas R; Baker, David B; Bruulsema, Tom W; Confesor, Remegio

2017-01-01

Cumulative daily load time series show that the early 2000s marked a step-change increase in riverine soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) loads entering the Western Lake Erie Basin from three major tributaries: the Maumee, Sandusky, and Raisin Rivers. These elevated SRP loads have been sustained over the last 12 yr. Empirical regression models were used to estimate the contributions from (i) increased runoff from changing weather and precipitation patterns and (ii) increased SRP delivery (the combined effects of increased source availability and/or increased transport efficiency of labile phosphorus [P] fractions). Approximately 65% of the SRP load increase after 2002 was attributable to increased SRP delivery, with higher runoff volumes accounting for the remaining 35%. Increased SRP delivery occurred concomitantly with declining watershed P budgets. However, within these watersheds, there have been long-term, largescale changes in land management: reduced tillage to minimize erosion and particulate P loss, and increased tile drainage to improve field operations and profitability. These practices can inadvertently increase labile P fractions at the soil surface and transmission of soluble P via subsurface drainage. Our findings suggest that changes in agricultural practices, including some conservation practices designed to reduce erosion and particulate P transport, may have had unintended, cumulative, and converging impacts contributing to the increased SRP loads, reaching a critical threshold around 2002. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

A prospective study comparing conservative with operative treatment in patients with a 'floating shoulder' including assessment of the prognostic value of the glenopolar angle.

PubMed

Yadav, V; Khare, G N; Singh, S; Kumaraswamy, V; Sharma, N; Rai, A K; Ramaswamy, A G; Sharma, H

2013-06-01

Both conservative and operative forms of treatment have been recommended for patients with a 'floating shoulder'. We compared the results of conservative and operative treatment in 25 patients with this injury and investigated the use of the glenopolar angle (GPA) as an indicator of the functional outcome. A total of 13 patients (ten male and three female; mean age 32.5 years (24.7 to 40.4)) were treated conservatively and 12 patients (ten male and two female; mean age 33.67 years (24.6 to 42.7)) were treated operatively by fixation of the clavicular fracture alone. Outcome was assessed using the Herscovici score, which was also related to changes in the GPA at one year post-operatively. The mean Herscovici score was significantly better three months and two years after the injury in the operative group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). There was a negative correlation between the change in GPA and the Herscovici score at two years follow-up in both the conservative and operative groups, but neither were statistically significant (r = -0.295 and r = -0.19, respectively). There was a significant difference between the pre- and post-operative GPA in the operative group (p = 0.017). When compared with conservative treatment, fixation of the clavicle alone gives better results in the treatment of patients with a floating shoulder. The GPA changes significantly with fixation of clavicle alone but there is no significant correlation between the pre-injury GPA and the final clinical outcome in these patients.

Interpretation of Landscape Scale SWAT Model Outputs in the Western Lake Erie Basin: Potential Implications for Conservation Decision-Making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, M. V. V.; Behrman, K. D.; Atwood, J. D.; White, M. J.; Norfleet, M. L.

2017-12-01

There is substantial interest in understanding how conservation practices and agricultural management impact water quality, particularly phosphorus dynamics, in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB). In 2016, the US and Canada accepted total phosphorus (TP) load targets recommended by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Annex 4 Objectives and Targets Task Team; these were 6,000 MTA delivered to Lake Erie and 3,660 MTA delivered to WLEB. Outstanding challenges include development of metrics to determine achievement of these goals, establishment of sufficient monitoring capacity to assess progress, and identification of appropriate conservation practices to achieve the most cost-effective results. Process-based modeling can help inform decisions to address these challenges more quickly than can system observation. As part of the NRCS-led Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to predict impacts of conservation practice adoption reported by farmers on TP loss and load delivery dynamics in WLEB. SWAT results suggest that once the conservation practices in place in 2003-06 and 2012 are fully functional, TP loads delivered to WLEB will average 3,175 MTA and 3,084 MTA, respectively. In other words, SWAT predicts that currently adopted practices are sufficient to meet Annex 4 TP load targets. Yet, WLEB gauging stations show Annex 4 goals are unmet. There are several reasons the model predictions and current monitoring efforts are not in agreement: 1. SWAT assumes full functionality of simulated conservation practices; 2. SWAT does not simulate changing management over time, nor impacts of past management on legacy loads; 3. SWAT assumes WLEB hydrological system equilibrium under simulated management. The SWAT model runs used to construct the scenarios that informed the Annex 4 targets were similarly constrained by model assumptions. It takes time for a system to achieve equilibrium when management changes and it takes time for monitoring efforts to measure meaningful changes over time. Careful interpretation of model outputs is imperative for appropriate application of current scientific knowledge to inform decision making, especially when models are used to set spatial and temporal goals around conservation practice adoption and water quality.

On nonepistemic values in conservation biology.

PubMed

Baumgaertner, Bert; Holthuijzen, Wieteke

2017-02-01

Conservation biology is a uniquely interdisciplinary science with strong roots in ecology, but it also embraces a value-laden and mission-oriented framework. This combination of science and values causes conservation biology to be at the center of critique regarding the discipline's scientific credibility-especially the division between the realms of theory and practice. We identify this dichotomy between seemingly objective (fact-based) and subjective (value-laden) practices as the measure-value dichotomy, whereby measure refers to methods and analyses used in conservation biology (i.e., measuring biodiversity) and value refers to nonepistemic values. We reviewed and evaluated several landmark articles central to the foundation of conservation biology and concepts of biodiversity with respect to their attempts to separate measures and values. We argue that the measure-value dichotomy is false and that conservation biology can make progress in ways unavailable to other disciplines because its practitioners are tasked with engaging in both the realm of theory and the realm of practice. The entanglement of measures and values is by no means a weakness of conservation biology. Because central concepts such as biodiversity contain both factual and evaluative aspects, conservation biologists can make theoretical progress by examining, reviewing, and forming the values that are an integral part of those concepts. We suggest that values should be included and analyzed with respect to the methods, results, and conclusions of scientific work in conservation biology. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Discretely Conservative Finite-Difference Formulations for Nonlinear Conservation Laws in Split Form: Theory and Boundary Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, Travis C.; Carpenter, Mark H.; Nordstroem, Jan; Yamaleev, Nail K.; Swanson, R. Charles

2011-01-01

Simulations of nonlinear conservation laws that admit discontinuous solutions are typically restricted to discretizations of equations that are explicitly written in divergence form. This restriction is, however, unnecessary. Herein, linear combinations of divergence and product rule forms that have been discretized using diagonal-norm skew-symmetric summation-by-parts (SBP) operators, are shown to satisfy the sufficient conditions of the Lax-Wendroff theorem and thus are appropriate for simulations of discontinuous physical phenomena. Furthermore, special treatments are not required at the points that are near physical boundaries (i.e., discrete conservation is achieved throughout the entire computational domain, including the boundaries). Examples are presented of a fourth-order, SBP finite-difference operator with second-order boundary closures. Sixth- and eighth-order constructions are derived, and included in E. Narrow-stencil difference operators for linear viscous terms are also derived; these guarantee the conservative form of the combined operator.

DRA 2005: The brave new world.

PubMed

Lewis, Richard

2006-01-01

The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 was signed into law to achieve 39 billion dollars in reductions from federal spending programs, 11 billion dollars from Medicare and Medicaid alone. Conservative estimates indicate that imaging alone accounts for 2.8 billion dollars of that amount. As of the writing of this article, both houses of Congress were reviewing bills with bipartisan support aimed at defusing, at least temporarily, the negative impact of the DRA; however, these bills do not affect the law in totality. Dealing with the changes that the DRA will force upon outpatient imaging practices will require all parties involved in outpatient imaging--physicians, administrators, and staff alike--to make smart, efficient, but practical changes in operational models to effectively survive in this new legislatively mandated environment.

Classifying Residents who use Landscape Irrigation: Implications for Encouraging Water Conservation Behavior.

PubMed

Warner, Laura A; Lamm, Alexa J; Rumble, Joy N; Martin, Emmett T; Cantrell, Randall

2016-08-01

Large amounts of water applied as urban irrigation can often be reduced substantially without compromising esthetics. Thus, encouraging the adoption of water-saving technologies and practices is critical to preserving water resources, yet difficult to achieve. The research problem addressed in this study is the lack of characterization of residents who use urban irrigation, which hinders the design of effective behavior change programs. This study examined audience segmentation as an approach to encouraging change using current residential landscape practices. K-means cluster analysis identified three meaningful subgroups among residential landscape irrigation users (N = 1,063): the water considerate majority (n = 479, 45 %), water savvy conservationists (n = 378, 36 %), and unconcerned water users (n = 201, 19 %). An important finding was that normative beliefs, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control characteristics of the subgroups were significantly different with large and medium practical effect sizes. Future water conservation behaviors and perceived importance of water resources were also significantly different among subgroups. The water considerate majority demonstrated capacity to conserve, placed high value on water, and were likely to engage in behavior changes. This article contributes to the literature on individuals who use residential landscape irrigation, an important target audience with potential to conserve water through sustainable irrigation practices and technologies. Findings confirm applicability of the capacity to conserve water to audience segmentation and extend this concept by incorporating perceived value of water resources and likelihood of conservation. The results suggest practical application to promoting residential landscape water conservation behaviors based on important audience characteristics.

Framing the relationship between people and nature in the context of European conservation.

PubMed

Linnell, John D C; Kaczensky, Petra; Wotschikowsky, Ulrich; Lescureux, Nicolas; Boitani, Luigi

2015-08-01

A key controversy in conservation is the framing of the relationship between people and nature. The extent to which the realms of nature and human culture are viewed as separate (dualistic view) or integrated is often discussed in the social sciences. To explore how this relationship is represented in the practice of conservation in Europe, we considered examples of cultural landscapes, wildlife (red deer, reindeer, horses), and protected area management. We found little support, for a dualistic worldview, where people and nature are regarded as separate in the traditional practice of conservation in Europe. The borders between nature and culture, wild and domestic, public land and private land, and between protected areas and the wider landscape were blurred and dynamic. The institutionalized (in practice and legislation) view is of an interactive mutualistic system in which humans and nature share the whole landscape. However, more dualistic ideals, such as wilderness and rewilding that are challenging established practices are expanding. In the context of modern day Europe, wilderness conservation and rewilding are not valid for the whole landscape, although it is possible to integrate some areas of low-intervention management into a wider matrix. A precondition for success is to recognize and plan for a plurality of values concerning the most valid approaches to conservation and to plan for this plurality at the landscape scale. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Do Farmers Using Conventional and Non-Conventional Systems of Agriculture Have Different Perceptions of the Diversity of Wild Birds? Implications for Conservation.

PubMed

Silva-Andrade, Horasa Lima; de Andrade, Luciano Pires; Muniz, Lauana Souza; Telino-Júnior, Wallace Rodrigues; Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino; Lyra-Neves, Rachel Maria

2016-01-01

Farmers' perceptions of birds' interactions with agricultural production systems are fundamental to species conservation efforts. In the present study, we evaluated the perceptions of birds held by farmers who engage in conventional and non-conventional agricultural production processes and the implications of potential differences in these perceptions on species conservation. To accomplish this, data were collected using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and other complementary sources of information gathered from 191 farmers in northeastern Brazil. Although some similarities were identified among the farmers in their perceptions and local ecological knowledge (LEK) of birds, differences existed between the conventional and non-conventional farmers in their attitudes toward, conflicts with, and usage of bird species. Compared to the conventional farmers, the non-conventional farmers could identify more bird species, possessed more favorable attitudes toward birds, and engaged in practices more beneficial to the conservation of avifauna. The perceptions that were identified were related to the type of agriculture practiced, and such perceptions may affect the conservation of bird species. Therefore, the adoption of certain agricultural practices has important implications for conservation. Our results indicate the need for investment in public policies, programs and actions that account for farmers' knowledge and perceptions. Such investments will contribute to the development and adoption of practices supporting wild bird conservation in agricultural areas.

Do Farmers Using Conventional and Non-Conventional Systems of Agriculture Have Different Perceptions of the Diversity of Wild Birds? Implications for Conservation

PubMed Central

de Andrade, Luciano Pires; Muniz, Lauana Souza; Telino-Júnior, Wallace Rodrigues; Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino; Lyra-Neves, Rachel Maria

2016-01-01

Farmers’ perceptions of birds’ interactions with agricultural production systems are fundamental to species conservation efforts. In the present study, we evaluated the perceptions of birds held by farmers who engage in conventional and non-conventional agricultural production processes and the implications of potential differences in these perceptions on species conservation. To accomplish this, data were collected using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and other complementary sources of information gathered from 191 farmers in northeastern Brazil. Although some similarities were identified among the farmers in their perceptions and local ecological knowledge (LEK) of birds, differences existed between the conventional and non-conventional farmers in their attitudes toward, conflicts with, and usage of bird species. Compared to the conventional farmers, the non-conventional farmers could identify more bird species, possessed more favorable attitudes toward birds, and engaged in practices more beneficial to the conservation of avifauna. The perceptions that were identified were related to the type of agriculture practiced, and such perceptions may affect the conservation of bird species. Therefore, the adoption of certain agricultural practices has important implications for conservation. Our results indicate the need for investment in public policies, programs and actions that account for farmers’ knowledge and perceptions. Such investments will contribute to the development and adoption of practices supporting wild bird conservation in agricultural areas. PMID:27243222

Impact of concomitant trauma in the management of blunt splenic injuries.

PubMed

Lo, Albert; Matheson, Anne-Marie; Adams, Dave

2004-09-10

Conservative management of isolated blunt splenic injuries has become widely accepted for haemodynamically stable patients, but may be untenable in those with multiple injuries. A retrospective review was performed to evaluate of our cumulative experience with non-operative management of splenic injuries, and to identify the risk factors for operative management. Eighty patients were identified. Demographics, mechanism of injury, injury severity score (ISS), clinical signs at presentation, utility of computed tomography scans and methods of treatment (operative management vs conservative management) were documented and statistically analysed to identify predictors for operative management. Initially, 45 patients (56%) were managed without operation, while 35 patients underwent urgent laparotomy - with 26 (74% in operative group) of these having splenectomy performed. Two patients (out of 45) failed conservative management and required delayed splenectomy, a 96% success rate for intended conservative management. Thus, overall rates of 54% non-operative management and 65% splenic conservation were achieved. The mean ISS of the operative management group (ISS=30) was higher than that of the non-operative treatment group (ISS=13, p<0.05), reflecting not only the grade of the splenic injury but also the severity of concomitant trauma. Risk factors for patients with blunt splenic injuries requiring operative management include ISS > or =16, hypotension, GCS < or =13, and requirement for blood transfusion (p<0.05). Appropriate patient selection is the most important element of non-operative management. Patients with splenic injuries who are haemodynamically stable can be managed non-operatively with acceptable outcome. However, in the presence of concomitant trauma, there is an increasing trend towards operative management.

Presentation: Human and Ecological Health Impacts Associated with Water Reuse and Conservation Practices

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation was given by Dr. James Johnson at the STAR Human and Ecological Health Impacts Associated with Water Reuse and Conservation Practices Kick-off Meeting and Webinar held on Oct. 26-27, 2016.

7 CFR 1470.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., tribal, or territorial law for the express purpose of developing and carrying out a local soil and water...,” “soil conservation district,” “soil and water conservation district,” “resource conservation district... practices and conservation management systems. It contains detailed information on the conservation of soil...

7 CFR 1470.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., tribal, or territorial law for the express purpose of developing and carrying out a local soil and water...,” “soil conservation district,” “soil and water conservation district,” “resource conservation district... practices and conservation management systems. It contains detailed information on the conservation of soil...

7 CFR 1470.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., tribal, or territorial law for the express purpose of developing and carrying out a local soil and water...,” “soil conservation district,” “soil and water conservation district,” “resource conservation district... practices and conservation management systems. It contains detailed information on the conservation of soil...

Surgical Interventions and the Use of Device-Aided Therapy for the Treatment of Fecal Incontinence and Defecatory Disorders.

PubMed

Bharucha, Adil E; Rao, Satish S C; Shin, Andrea S

2017-12-01

The purpose of this clinical practice update expert review is to describe the key principles in the use of surgical interventions and device-aided therapy for managing fecal incontinence (FI) and defecatory disorders. The best practices outlined in this review are based on relevant publications, including systematic reviews and expert opinion (when applicable). Best Practice Advice 1: A stepwise approach should be followed for management of FI. Conservative therapies (diet, fluids, techniques to improve evacuation, a bowel training program, management of diarrhea and constipation with diet and medications if necessary) will benefit approximately 25% of patients and should be tried first. Best Practice Advice 2: Pelvic floor retraining with biofeedback therapy is recommended for patients with FI who do not respond to the conservative measures indicated above. Best Practice Advice 3: Perianal bulking agents such as intra-anal injection of dextranomer may be considered when conservative measures and biofeedback therapy fail. Best Practice Advice 4: Sacral nerve stimulation should be considered for patients with moderate or severe FI in whom symptoms have not responded after a 3-month or longer trial of conservative measures and biofeedback therapy and who do not have contraindications to these procedures. Best Practice Advice 5: Until further evidence is available, percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation should not be used for managing FI in clinical practice. Best Practice Advice 6: Barrier devices should be offered to patients who have failed conservative or surgical therapy, or in those who have failed conservative therapy who do not want or are not eligible for more invasive interventions. Best Practice Advice 7: Anal sphincter repair (sphincteroplasty) should be considered in postpartum women with FI and in patients with recent sphincter injuries. In patients who present later with symptoms of FI unresponsive to conservative and biofeedback therapy and evidence of sphincter damage, sphincteroplasty may be considered when perianal bulking injection and sacral nerve stimulation are not available or have proven unsuccessful. Best Practice Advice 8: The artificial anal sphincter, dynamic graciloplasty, may be considered for patients with medically refractory severe FI who have failed treatment or are not candidates for barrier devices, sacral nerve stimulation, perianal bulking injection, sphincteroplasty and a colostomy. Best Practice Advice 9: Major anatomic defects (eg, rectovaginal fistula, full-thickness rectal prolapse, fistula in ano, or cloaca-like deformity) should be rectified with surgery. Best Practice Advice 10: A colostomy should be considered in patients with severe FI who have failed conservative treatment and have failed or are not candidates for barrier devices, minimally invasive surgical interventions, and sphincteroplasty. Best Practice Advice 11: A magnetic anal sphincter device may be considered for patients with medically refractory severe FI who have failed or are not candidates for barrier devices, perianal bulking injection, sacral nerve stimulation, sphincteroplasty, or a colostomy. Data regarding efficacy are limited and 40% of patients had moderate or severe complications. Best Practice Advice 12: For defecatory disorders, biofeedback therapy is the treatment of choice. Best Practice Advice 13: Based on limited evidence, sacral nerve stimulation should not be used for managing defecatory disorders in clinical practice. Best Practice Advice 14: Anterograde colonic enemas are not effective in the long term for management of defecatory disorders. Best Practice Advice 15: The stapled transanal rectal resection and related procedures should not be routinely performed for correction of structural abnormalities in patients with defecatory disorders. Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of Educational Strategies for Human Resources in Green Infrastructure Operation and Maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebrahimi, G.; Thurm, B.; Öberg, G.

2014-12-01

Rainwater harvesting and water reuse are receiving increasing attention as they hold the potential to effectively improve water conservation efforts. While many technical solutions have been developed, alternative water systems in built environments face significant challenges in the implementation and operational phases. The aim of this study is to examine obstacles to the implementation of alternative water systems in practice and identify criteria of feasible and sustainable solutions that allow bypassing of the identified obstacles. Interviews were conducted with planners, system designers and operators to find out which factors that central actors believe influence successful implementation of such systems. The results were analyzed in light of the literature. The actual performance of the water harvesting and reuse systems in four recently built green buildings in the Province of British Columbia, Canada was analyzed in light of the predicted outcome, according to the criteria identified in the interviews. It was found that the major obstacle to success is that the practical challenges involved in the implementation of alternative systems are underestimated. This, for example, leads to that education strategies for operational staff are not developed, and the staff is left floundering. This study highlights the importance of recognizing the need for strategic and directed educational programs for the human resources who are involved in operating and maintaining rainwater harvesting and water reuse systems.

Characterization and Placement of Wetlands for Integrated Conservation Practice Planning

EPA Science Inventory

Constructed wetlands have been recognized as an efficient and cost-effective conservation practice to protect water quality through reducing the transport of sediments and nutrients from upstream croplands to downstream water bodies. The challenge resides in targeting the strateg...

EFFECTIVENESS OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES FOR POLLUTION CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

The potential water quality effects and economic implications of soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs) are identified. Method for estimating the effects of SWCPs on pollutant losses from croplands are presented. Mathematical simulation and linear programming models were u...

18 CFR 401.36 - Water supply projects-Conservation requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... leak detection and control program; (2) Use of the best practicable water-conserving devices and... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Water supply projects-Conservation requirements. 401.36 Section 401.36 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN...

Current conserving theory at the operator level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Jiangtao; Wang, Yin; Wang, Jian

The basic assumption of quantum transport in mesoscopic systems is that the total charge inside the scattering region is zero. This means that the potential deep inside reservoirs is effectively screened and therefore the electric field at interface of scattering region is zero. Thus the current conservation condition can be satisfied automatically which is an important condition in mesoscopic transport. So far the current conserving ac theory is well developed by considering the displacement current which is due to Coulomb interaction if we just focus on the average current. However, the frequency dependent shot noise does not satisfy the conservation condition since we do not consider the current conservation at the operator level. In this work, we formulate a generalized current conserving theory at the operator level using non-equilibrium Green's function theory which could be applied to both average current and frequency dependent shot noise. A displacement operator is derived for the first time so that the frequency dependent correlation of displacement currents could be investigated. Moreover, the equilibrium shot noise is investigated and a generalized fluctuation-dissipation relationship is presented.

Mortality in perforated duodenal ulcer depends upon pre-operative risk: a retrospective 10-year study.

PubMed

Larkin, J O; Bourke, M G; Muhammed, A; Waldron, R; Barry, K; Eustace, P W

2010-12-01

Most patients presenting with acutely perforated duodenal ulcer undergo operation, but conservative treatment may be indicated when an ulcer has spontaneously sealed with minimal/localised peritoneal irritation or when the patient's premorbid performance status is poor. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with operative and conservative management of perforated duodenal ulcers over a 10-year period and analysed outcome according to American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score. The records of all patients presenting with perforated duodenal ulcer to the Department of Surgery, Mayo General Hospital, between January 1998 and December 2007 were reviewed. Age, gender, co-morbidity, ASA-score, clinical presentation, mode of management, operative procedures, morbidity and mortality were considered. Of 76 patients included, 48 (44 operative, 4 conservative) were ASA I-III, with no mortality irrespective of treatment. Amongst 28 patients with ASA-score IV/V, mortality was 54.5% (6/11) following operative management and 52.9% (9/17) with conservative management. In patients with a perforated duodenal ulcer and ASA-score I-III, postoperative outcome is uniformly favourable. We recommend these patients have repair with peritoneal lavage performed, routinely followed postoperatively by empirical triple therapy. Given that mortality is equivalent between ASA IV/V patients whether managed operatively or conservatively, we suggest that both management options are equally justifiable.

Midwestern US Farmers Perceive Crop Advisers as Conduits of Information on Agricultural Conservation Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eanes, Francis R.; Singh, Ajay S.; Bulla, Brian R.; Ranjan, Pranay; Prokopy, Linda S.; Fales, Mary; Wickerham, Benjamin; Doran, Patrick J.

2017-11-01

Nonpoint source pollution from agricultural land uses continues to pose one of the most significant threats to water quality in the US, with measurable impacts across local, regional, and national scales. The impact and the influence of targeted conservation efforts are directly related to the degree to which farmers are familiar with and trust the entities providing the information and/or outreach. Recent research suggests that farmers consistently rank independent and retail-affiliated crop advisers as among the most trusted and influential sources for agronomic information, but little is understood about whether farmers are willing to receive advice from crop advisers on the use of practices that conserve soil and water, and, if so, whether crop advisers will be perceived as influential. We present survey data from farmers ( n = 1461) in Michigan's Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) watershed to explore these questions. Results suggest that farmers view crop advisers as trustworthy sources of information about conservation, and influential on management practices that have large conservation implications. We discuss these results, along with perceived barriers and opportunities to crop advisers partnering with traditional conservation agencies to enhance the impact of voluntary conservation programs.

Midwestern US Farmers Perceive Crop Advisers as Conduits of Information on Agricultural Conservation Practices.

PubMed

Eanes, Francis R; Singh, Ajay S; Bulla, Brian R; Ranjan, Pranay; Prokopy, Linda S; Fales, Mary; Wickerham, Benjamin; Doran, Patrick J

2017-11-01

Nonpoint source pollution from agricultural land uses continues to pose one of the most significant threats to water quality in the US, with measurable impacts across local, regional, and national scales. The impact and the influence of targeted conservation efforts are directly related to the degree to which farmers are familiar with and trust the entities providing the information and/or outreach. Recent research suggests that farmers consistently rank independent and retail-affiliated crop advisers as among the most trusted and influential sources for agronomic information, but little is understood about whether farmers are willing to receive advice from crop advisers on the use of practices that conserve soil and water, and, if so, whether crop advisers will be perceived as influential. We present survey data from farmers (n = 1461) in Michigan's Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) watershed to explore these questions. Results suggest that farmers view crop advisers as trustworthy sources of information about conservation, and influential on management practices that have large conservation implications. We discuss these results, along with perceived barriers and opportunities to crop advisers partnering with traditional conservation agencies to enhance the impact of voluntary conservation programs.

Henry Wade (1876-1955), pioneer of urological surgery, museum conservator and war veteran.

PubMed

Gardner, Dugald

2017-01-01

Henry Wade graduated in the Edinburgh Medical School in 1898 before spending two years with the British army during the Anglo-Boer war. Returning to this country, he joined Francis Caird, surgeon to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Appointed Conservator of the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Wade met young William Ford Robertson. In a study of experimental cancer they concluded that some neoplasms were caused by bacteria. Wade became increasingly recognised as an authority in urology. His growing practice was interrupted by the First World War. Already a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps, he served for five years in the Middle East, in Gallipoli and then with the army in an approach to Jerusalem. Resuming civilian life, Wade combined an extensive urological practice with membership of the Council of the RCSEd. He became President in 1935. Married in 1924, his wife died four years later after an operation by a colleague, David Wilkie. Director of Surgery to the Scottish Emergency Medical Service when the Second World War broke out, Wade was made a Knight Bachelor in 1946. He died in 1955.

A planning approach for agricultural watersheds using precision conservation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This brief article, written for a non-technical audience, discusses a recently-developed approach for watershed planning and nutrient reduction. The approach can help local stakeholders identify conservation practices that are locally preferred and determine how those practices can be distributed ac...

Best Practices for Water Conservation and Efficiency as an Alternative for Water Supply Expansion

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA released a document that provides water conservation and efficiency best practices for evaluating water supply projects. The document can help water utilities and federal and state governments carry out assessments of the potential for future

Conservation Evo-Devo: Preserving Biodiversity by Understanding Its Origins.

PubMed

Campbell, Calum S; Adams, Colin E; Bean, Colin W; Parsons, Kevin J

2017-10-01

Unprecedented rates of species extinction increase the urgency for effective conservation biology management practices. Thus, any improvements in practice are vital and we suggest that conservation can be enhanced through recent advances in evolutionary biology, specifically advances put forward by evolutionary developmental biology (i.e., evo-devo). There are strong overlapping conceptual links between conservation and evo-devo whereby both fields focus on evolutionary potential. In particular, benefits to conservation can be derived from some of the main areas of evo-devo research, namely phenotypic plasticity, modularity and integration, and mechanistic investigations of the precise developmental and genetic processes that determine phenotypes. Using examples we outline how evo-devo can expand into conservation biology, an opportunity which holds great promise for advancing both fields. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 4438 - Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-22

... (``WMA'') to operate the Anguilla Landfill on St. Croix in compliance with the Resource Conservation and... and WMA to: (a) Operate and maintain the landfill in accordance with RCRA; (b) construct and operate a landfill gas collection and combustion system (GCCS); (c) construct and operate a storm water collection...

Farmer Participation in U.S. Farm Bill Conservation Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reimer, Adam P.; Prokopy, Linda S.

2014-02-01

Conservation policy in agricultural systems in the United States relies primarily on voluntary action by farmers. Federal conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, offer incentives, both financial and technical, to farmers in exchange for adoption of conservation practices. Understanding motivations for (as well as barriers to) participation in voluntary programs is important for the design of future policy and effective outreach. While a significant literature has explored motivations and barriers to conservation practice adoption and participation in single programs, few studies in the U.S. context have explored general participation by farmers in one place and time. A mixed-methods research approach was utilized to explore farmer participation in all U.S. Farm Bill programs in Indiana. Current and past program engagement was high, with nearly half of survey respondents reporting participation in at least one program. Most participants had experience with the Conservation Reserve Program, with much lower participation rates in other programs. Most interview participants who had experience in programs were motivated by the environmental benefits of practices, with incentives primarily serving to reduce the financial and technical barriers to practice adoption. The current policy arrangement, which offers multiple policy approaches to conservation, offers farmers with different needs and motivations a menu of options. However, evidence suggests that the complexity of the system may be a barrier that prevents participation by farmers with scarce time or resources. Outreach efforts should focus on increasing awareness of program options, while future policy must balance flexibility of programs with complexity.

Conservative Protestantism and attitudes toward corporal punishment, 1986-2014.

PubMed

Hoffmann, John P; Ellison, Christopher G; Bartkowski, John P

2017-03-01

Research indicates that conservative Protestants are highly supportive of corporal punishment. Yet, Americans' support for this practice has waned during the past several decades. This study aggregates repeated cross-sectional data from the General Social Surveys (GSS) to consider three models that address whether attitudes toward spanking among conservative Protestants shifted relative to those of other Americans from 1986 to 2014. Although initial results reveal a growing gap between conservative Protestants and the broader American public, we find that average levels of support have remained most robust among less educated conservative Protestants, with some erosion among more highly educated conservative Protestants. Moreover, trends in variability suggest that conservative Protestants exhibit more cohesive support for this practice than do others. These results provide a window into the cultural contours of religious change and the social factors that facilitate such change. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Case control study of fractures-dislocations of ankle joint with conservative and operative treatment].

PubMed

Zhang, Song-Tu; Lin, Yi-Rong; Chen, Lian-Yuan

2010-10-01

To compare the clinical efficacy of grade III, IV supination-eversion fractures-dislocations of ankle joint between manipulative treatment and operative treatment. From September 2007 to December 2008, the clinical data of 60 patients with grade III, IV supination-eversion fractures-dislocations of ankle joint were retrospectively analyzed. There were 32 males and 28 females, ranging in age from 18 to 70 years with an average age of 38.17 years. All patients were respectively treated with manipulative treatment (conservative group, 30 cases) and operative treatment (operative group, 30 cases). The joint function was compared with Mazur standard; the reduction and shifting of fractures were observed with X-ray; the hospitalization day and the therapeutic cost were compared between two groups. All patients were followed up with an average of 15.27 months (ranged, 6 to 25 months). In conservative group, 16 cases got excellent result in joint function, 10 good, 3 fair, 1 poor; in operative group, 20 cases got excellent result, 8 good, 2 fair, 0 poor. In conservative group in the X-ray showed 25 cases obtained excellent and good reduction, 4 fair, 1 poor; and in operative group in the X-ray showed 28 cases obtained excellent and good reduction, 2 fair, 0 poor. There was no significant difference at the joint function and X-ray film after treatment between two groups (P > 0.05). The hospital day was respectively (7.87 +/- 3.34), (17.37 +/- 4.64) d in conservative group and operative group; and the therapeutic cost was respectively (2 506.67 +/- 649.10), (11 473.33 +/- 1 564.90) yuan. There was significant difference at hospital day and therapeutic cost between two groups (P < 0.05). Conservative treatment and operative treatment can both reach a very good result in treating grade III, IV supination-eversion fractures and dislocations of ankle joint. However, conservative treatment has advantage of high safety factor, low therapeutic cost, can reduce medical costs for patients.

7 CFR 1466.24 - EQIP payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... environmental significance, as defined in § 1466.21(d). (c) Payments for conservation practices related to... incurred costs or sacrificed income related to conservation practice implementation. (5) Any cooperative association of producers that markets commodities for producers will not be considered to be a person eligible...

Characterization and placement of wetlands for integrated watershed conservation practice planning

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Constructed wetlands have been recognized as an efficient and cost-effective conservation practice to protect water quality through reducing the transport of sediments and nutrients from upstream croplands to downstream water bodies. The challenge resides in targeting the strategic location of wetla...

Study of the cost/benefit tradeoffs for reducing the energy consumption of the commercial air transportation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hopkins, J. P.

1976-01-01

Practical means were assessed for achieving reduced fuel consumption in commercial air transportation. Five areas were investigated: current aircraft types, revised operational procedures, modifications to current aircraft, derivatives of current aircraft and new near-term fuel conservative aircraft. As part of a multiparticipant coordinated effort, detailed performance and operating cost data in each of these areas were supplied to the contractor responsible for the overall analysis of the cost/benefit tradeoffs for reducing the energy consumption of the domestic commercial air transportation system. A follow-on study was performed to assess the potential of an advanced turboprop transport aircraft concept. To provide a valid basis for comparison, an equivalent turbofan transport aircraft concept incorporating equal technology levels was also derived. The aircraft as compared on the basis of weight, size, fuel utilization, operational characteristics and costs.

REVIEW: The evolving linkage between conservation science and practice at The Nature Conservancy.

PubMed

Kareiva, Peter; Groves, Craig; Marvier, Michelle

2014-10-01

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) was founded by ecologists as a United States land trust to purchase parcels of habitat for the purpose of scientific study. It has evolved into a global organization working in 35 countries 'to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends'. TNC is now the world 's largest conservation non-governmental organization (NGO), an early adopter of advances in ecological theory and a producer of new science as a result of practising conservation.The Nature Conservancy 's initial scientific innovation was the use of distributional data for rare species and ecological communities to systematically target lands for conservation. This innovation later evolved into a more rigorous approach known as 'Conservation by Design' that contained elements of systematic conservation planning, strategic planning and monitoring and evaluation.The next scientific transition at TNC was a move to landscape-scale projects, motivated by ideas from landscape ecology. Because the scale at which land could be set aside in areas untouched by humans fell far short of the spatial scale demanded by conservation, TNC became involved with best management practices for forestry, grazing, agriculture, hydropower and other land uses.A third scientific innovation at TNC came with the pursuit of multiobjective planning that accounts for economic and resource needs in the same plans that seek to protect biodiversity.The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment prompted TNC to become increasingly concerned with ecosystem services and the material risk to people posed by ecosystem deterioration.Finally, because conservation depends heavily upon negotiation, TNC has recently recruited social scientists, economists and communication experts. One aspect still missing, however, is a solid scientific understanding of thresholds that should be averted. Synthesis and applications . Over its 60-plus year history, scientific advances have informed The Nature Conservancy (TNC) 's actions and strategies, and in turn the evolving practice of conservation has altered the type of science sought by TNC in order to maximize its conservation effectiveness.

REVIEW: The evolving linkage between conservation science and practice at The Nature Conservancy

PubMed Central

Kareiva, Peter; Groves, Craig; Marvier, Michelle

2014-01-01

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) was founded by ecologists as a United States land trust to purchase parcels of habitat for the purpose of scientific study. It has evolved into a global organization working in 35 countries ‘to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends’. TNC is now the world 's largest conservation non-governmental organization (NGO), an early adopter of advances in ecological theory and a producer of new science as a result of practising conservation.The Nature Conservancy 's initial scientific innovation was the use of distributional data for rare species and ecological communities to systematically target lands for conservation. This innovation later evolved into a more rigorous approach known as ‘Conservation by Design’ that contained elements of systematic conservation planning, strategic planning and monitoring and evaluation.The next scientific transition at TNC was a move to landscape-scale projects, motivated by ideas from landscape ecology. Because the scale at which land could be set aside in areas untouched by humans fell far short of the spatial scale demanded by conservation, TNC became involved with best management practices for forestry, grazing, agriculture, hydropower and other land uses.A third scientific innovation at TNC came with the pursuit of multiobjective planning that accounts for economic and resource needs in the same plans that seek to protect biodiversity.The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment prompted TNC to become increasingly concerned with ecosystem services and the material risk to people posed by ecosystem deterioration.Finally, because conservation depends heavily upon negotiation, TNC has recently recruited social scientists, economists and communication experts. One aspect still missing, however, is a solid scientific understanding of thresholds that should be averted.Synthesis and applications. Over its 60-plus year history, scientific advances have informed The Nature Conservancy (TNC) 's actions and strategies, and in turn the evolving practice of conservation has altered the type of science sought by TNC in order to maximize its conservation effectiveness. PMID:25641980

Landscape Design and Nursery Operation for Energy Conservation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Richard C.; Glazener, Dennis

Landforms, vegetation, water bodies, climate and solar radiation can be analyzed and used to design an energy-conserving landscape and horticulture operation. Accordingly, this course instructor's manual covers the use of the elements of the environment to make landscaping and nursery design and operation more energy-efficient. Five sections…

77 FR 45368 - Draft Environmental Assessment, Habitat Conservation Plan, and Application for an Incidental Take...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-31

... otherwise lawful activities associated with operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of a 28-turbine wind... occur due to operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of 28 wind turbines. The proposed conservation... 21 years during operations, maintenance, and decommissioning activities related to CPP's 28-turbine...

18 CFR 367.1540 - Account 154, Materials and operating supplies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Account 154, Materials and operating supplies. 367.1540 Section 367.1540 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL..., Materials and operating supplies. (a) This account must include the cost of materials purchased primarily...

18 CFR 367.1540 - Account 154, Materials and operating supplies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Account 154, Materials and operating supplies. 367.1540 Section 367.1540 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL..., Materials and operating supplies. (a) This account must include the cost of materials purchased primarily...

18 CFR 367.1540 - Account 154, Materials and operating supplies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Account 154, Materials and operating supplies. 367.1540 Section 367.1540 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL..., Materials and operating supplies. (a) This account must include the cost of materials purchased primarily...

18 CFR 367.1540 - Account 154, Materials and operating supplies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Account 154, Materials and operating supplies. 367.1540 Section 367.1540 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL..., Materials and operating supplies. (a) This account must include the cost of materials purchased primarily...

18 CFR 367.1540 - Account 154, Materials and operating supplies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Account 154, Materials and operating supplies. 367.1540 Section 367.1540 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL..., Materials and operating supplies. (a) This account must include the cost of materials purchased primarily...

The social implications of using drones for biodiversity conservation.

PubMed

Sandbrook, Chris

2015-11-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or 'drones', appear to offer a flexible, accurate and affordable solution to some of the technical challenges of nature conservation monitoring and law enforcement. However, little attention has been given to their possible social impacts. In this paper, I review the possible social impacts of using drones for conservation, including on safety, privacy, psychological wellbeing, data security and the wider understanding of conservation problems. I argue that negative social impacts are probable under some circumstances and should be of concern for conservation for two reasons: (1) because conservation should follow good ethical practice; and (2) because negative social impacts could undermine conservation effectiveness in the long term. The paper concludes with a call for empirical research to establish whether the identified social risks of drones occur in reality and how they could be mitigated, and for self-regulation of drone use by the conservation sector to ensure good ethical practice and minimise the risk of unintended consequences.

Remote sensing techniques for the detection of soil erosion and the identification of soil conservation practices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelletier, R. E.; Griffin, R. H.

1985-01-01

The following paper is a summary of a number of techniques initiated under the AgRISTARS (Agriculture and Resources Inventory Surveys Through Aerospace Remote Sensing) project for the detection of soil degradation caused by water erosion and the identification of soil conservation practices for resource inventories. Discussed are methods to utilize a geographic information system to determine potential soil erosion through a USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) model; application of the Kauth-Thomas Transform to detect present erosional status; and the identification of conservation practices through visual interpretation and a variety of enhancement procedures applied to digital remotely sensed data.

ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTING THE HALLAM NUCLEAR POWER FACILITY REACTOR STRUCTURE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mahlmeister, J E; Haberer, W V; Casey, D F

1960-12-15

The Hallam Nuclear Power Facility reactor structure, including the cavity liner, is described, and the design philosophy and special design requirements which were developed during the preliminary and final engineering phases of the project are explained. The structure was designed for 600 deg F inlet and 1000 deg F outlet operating sodium temperatures and fabricated of austenitic and ferritic stainless steels. Support for the reactor core components and adequate containment for biological safeguards were readily provided even though quite conservative design philosophy was used. The calculated operating characteristics, including heat generation, temperature distributions and stress levels for full-power operation, aremore » summarized. Ship fabrication and field installation experiences are also briefly related. Results of this project have established that the sodium graphite reactor permits practical and economical fabrication and field erection procedures; considerably higher operating design temperatures are believed possible without radical design changes. Also, larger reactor structures can be similarly constructed for higher capacity (300 to 1000 Mwe) nuclear power plants. (auth)« less

The long-term outcome of displaced mid-third clavicle fractures on scapular and shoulder function: variations between immediate surgery, delayed surgery, and nonsurgical management.

PubMed

George, Daniel M; McKay, Bartholomew P; Jaarsma, Ruurd L

2015-05-01

Conservative management for uncomplicated displaced clavicle fractures is common practice. Delay of surgical fixation may result in less favorable outcomes. A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 60 patients with a closed mid-third clavicle fracture that did not meet current operative or nonoperative guidelines; 20 primary (plate fixation <6 weeks), 20 delayed (plate fixation >6 weeks), and 20 matched conservative patients were included. Each patient completed 2 questionnaires, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, as well as visual analog scales for pain, cosmetic satisfaction, and overall satisfaction. In addition, 10 patients from each group underwent clinical review of scapular rotation by the lateral scapular slide test, clinical impingement, range of motion assessment, and radiologic review of clavicle union and length. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons patient self-reported questionnaire demonstrated a median score of 5.5 for the delayed group, 2 for the primary group, and 1 for the conservative group (P = .032). The median Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was 7.92 for the delayed group, 3.32 for the primary group, and 1.67 for the conservative group (P = .212). Six patients in the delayed group had scapular malrotation compared with 2 in the primary group and none in the conservative group (P = .008). Flexion and external rotation in 90° abduction were decreased in the conservative group (P = .049 and .041, respectively). We support the conservative management of uncomplicated displaced clavicle fractures but recognize that a lower threshold for early surgery should be considered where optimal shoulder function is required. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hydrologic analysis for selection and placement of conservation practices at the watershed scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C.; Brooks, E. S.; Boll, J.

2012-12-01

When a water body is exceeding water quality standards and a Total Maximum Daily Load has been established, conservation practices in the watershed are able to reduce point and non-point source pollution. Hydrological analysis is needed to place conservation practices in the most hydrologically sensitive areas. The selection and placement of conservation practices, however, is challenging in ungauged watersheds with little or no data for the hydrological analysis. The objective of this research is to perform a hydrological analysis for mitigation of erosion and total phosphorus in a mixed land use watershed, and to select and place the conservation practices in the most sensitive areas. The study area is the Hangman Creek watershed in Idaho and Washington State, upstream of Long Lake (WA) reservoir, east of Spokane, WA. While the pollutant of concern is total phosphorus (TP), reductions in TP were translated to total suspended solids or reductions in nonpoint source erosion and sediment delivery to streams. Hydrological characterization was done with a simple web-based tool, which runs the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model for representative land types in the watersheds, where a land type is defined as a unique combination of soil type, slope configuration, land use and management, and climate. The web-based tool used site-specific spatial and temporal data on land use, soil physical parameters, slope, and climate derived from readily available data sources and provided information on potential pollutant pathways (i.e. erosion, runoff, lateral flow, and percolation). Multiple land types representative in the watershed were ordered from most effective to least effective, and displayed spatially using GIS. The methodology for the Hangman Creek watershed was validated in the nearby Paradise Creek watershed that has long-term stream discharge and monitoring as well as land use data. Output from the web-based tool shows the potential reductions for different tillage practices, buffer strips, streamside management, and conversion to the conservation reserve program in the watershed. The output also includes the relationship between land area where conservation practices are placed and the potential reduction in pollution, showing the diminished returns on investment as less sensitive areas are being treated. This application of a simple web-based tool and the use of a physically-based erosion model (i.e. WEPP) illustrates that quantitative, spatial and temporal analysis of changes in pollutant loading and site-specific recommendations of conservation practices can be made in ungauged watersheds.

Practical approaches for assessing local land use change and conservation priorities in the tropics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivas, Cassandra J.

Tropical areas typically support high biological diversity; however, many are experiencing rapid land-use change. The resulting loss, fragmentation, and degradation of habitats place biodiversity at risk. For these reasons, the tropics are frequently identified as global conservation hotspots. Safeguarding tropical biodiversity necessitates successful and efficient conservation planning and implementation at local scales, where land use decisions are made and enforced. Yet, despite considerable agreement on the need for improved practices, planning may be difficult due to limited resources, such as funding, data, and expertise, especially for small conservation organizations in tropical developing countries. My thesis aims to assist small, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), operating in tropical developing countries, in overcoming resource limitations by providing recommendations for improved conservation planning. Following a brief introduction in Chapter 1, I present a literature review of systematic conservation planning (SCP) projects in the developing tropics. Although SCP is considered an efficient, effective approach, it requires substantial data and expertise to conduct the analysis and may present challenges for implementation. I reviewed and synthesized the methods and results of 14 case studies to identify practical ways to implement and overcome limitations for employing SCP. I found that SCP studies in the peer-reviewed literature were primarily implemented by researchers in large organizations or institutions, as opposed to on-the-ground conservation planners. A variety of data types were used in the SCP analyses, many of which data are freely available. Few case studies involved stakeholders and intended to implement the assessment; instead, the case studies were carried out in the context of research and development, limiting local involvement and implementation. Nonetheless, the studies provided valuable strategies for employing each step of the SCP assessment and ways to overcome limitations. These included obtaining and using publicly available data resources, collaborating with institutions or organizations with resources, and using expertise to employ the analytical process. In conclusion, the local conservation organization should ultimately decide whether or not to use the SCP approach using reviews such as this one and the feasibility assessment model provided in this chapter. In Chapter 3, to support locally based conservation planning efforts in southwestern Nicaragua, I collaborated with a small NGO and produced valuable data products for conservation planning. I produced a land-use and land cover change (LULC) classification and identified hot and cold spots (i.e., high and low concentration) of land cover change between the years of 2000 - 2009. I used SPOT satellite imagery from 2009, ground referenced data, and manual training points to classify 10 LULC types using a regression tree algorithm. I employed a post-classification change detection analysis to compare my classification to one from the year of 2000, applied a cluster analysis to delineate hot and cold spots of change, and used the resulting data products to identify preliminary conservation and restoration priorities. The LULC classification accuracy was 87.9% and deforestation rates were approximately 5.6% per year. I observed that pasture was the most converted-to class, plantation was a proliferating class, and some regrowth succeeded into secondary forest. Hotspots and cold spots of change for conservation concern included areas converted from forest into pasture, which often occurred in areas of rugged terrain. Hotspots from forest to plantation occurred in the northern isthmus, while cold spots occurred in the south. These two trends revealed the vulnerability of remaining secondary forests, which are of primary importance to regional conservation efforts. Conservation priorities included remaining old secondary forest patches and succeeding forests occurring near them and should factor into future conservation planning.

Energetically consistent collisional gyrokinetics

DOE PAGES

Burby, J. W.; Brizard, A. J.; Qin, H.

2015-10-30

Here, we present a formulation of collisional gyrokinetic theory with exact conservation laws for energy and canonical toroidal momentum. Collisions are accounted for by a nonlinear gyrokinetic Landau operator. Gyroaveraging and linearization do not destroy the operator's conservation properties. Just as in ordinary kinetic theory, the conservation laws for collisional gyrokinetic theory are selected by the limiting collisionless gyrokinetic theory. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Regional effects of agricultural conservation practices on nutrient transport in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garcia, Ana Maria.; Alexander, Richard B.; Arnold, Jeffrey G.; Norfleet, Lee; White, Michael J.; Robertson, Dale M.; Schwarz, Gregory E.

2016-01-01

Despite progress in the implementation of conservation practices, related improvements in water quality have been challenging to measure in larger river systems. In this paper we quantify these downstream effects by applying the empirical U.S. Geological Survey water-quality model SPARROW to investigate whether spatial differences in conservation intensity were statistically correlated with variations in nutrient loads. In contrast to other forms of water quality data analysis, the application of SPARROW controls for confounding factors such as hydrologic variability, multiple sources and environmental processes. A measure of conservation intensity was derived from the USDA-CEAP regional assessment of the Upper Mississippi River and used as an explanatory variable in a model of the Upper Midwest. The spatial pattern of conservation intensity was negatively correlated (p = 0.003) with the total nitrogen loads in streams in the basin. Total phosphorus loads were weakly negatively correlated with conservation (p = 0.25). Regional nitrogen reductions were estimated to range from 5 to 34% and phosphorus reductions from 1 to 10% in major river basins of the Upper Mississippi region. The statistical associations between conservation and nutrient loads are consistent with hydrological and biogeochemical processes such as denitrification. The results provide empirical evidence at the regional scale that conservation practices have had a larger statistically detectable effect on nitrogen than on phosphorus loadings in streams and rivers of the Upper Mississippi Basin.

Regional Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on Nutrient Transport in the Upper Mississippi River Basin.

PubMed

García, Ana María; Alexander, Richard B; Arnold, Jeffrey G; Norfleet, Lee; White, Michael J; Robertson, Dale M; Schwarz, Gregory

2016-07-05

Despite progress in the implementation of conservation practices, related improvements in water quality have been challenging to measure in larger river systems. In this paper we quantify these downstream effects by applying the empirical U.S. Geological Survey water-quality model SPARROW to investigate whether spatial differences in conservation intensity were statistically correlated with variations in nutrient loads. In contrast to other forms of water quality data analysis, the application of SPARROW controls for confounding factors such as hydrologic variability, multiple sources and environmental processes. A measure of conservation intensity was derived from the USDA-CEAP regional assessment of the Upper Mississippi River and used as an explanatory variable in a model of the Upper Midwest. The spatial pattern of conservation intensity was negatively correlated (p = 0.003) with the total nitrogen loads in streams in the basin. Total phosphorus loads were weakly negatively correlated with conservation (p = 0.25). Regional nitrogen reductions were estimated to range from 5 to 34% and phosphorus reductions from 1 to 10% in major river basins of the Upper Mississippi region. The statistical associations between conservation and nutrient loads are consistent with hydrological and biogeochemical processes such as denitrification. The results provide empirical evidence at the regional scale that conservation practices have had a larger statistically detectable effect on nitrogen than on phosphorus loadings in streams and rivers of the Upper Mississippi Basin.

Detecting water yield variability due to the small proportional land use and land cover changes in a watershed on the Loess Plateau, China

Treesearch

S. Wang; Z. Zhang; G. Sun; S.G. McNulty; M. Zhang

2009-01-01

Soil conservation practices have been widely implemented on the Loess Plateau to reduce severe soil erosion in north-central China over the past three decades. However, the hydrologic impacts of these practices are not well documented and understood. The objective of this study was to examine how water yield has changed after implementing soil conservation practices...

Watershed-scale evaluation of Humboldt Redwood Company’s Habitat Conservation Plan timber harvest best management practices, Railroad Gulch, Elk River, California

Treesearch

Andrew Stubblefield; Shane Beach; Nicolas M. Harrison; Michelle Haskins

2017-01-01

The objective of this study is to test the effectiveness of California Forest Practice Rules and additional best management practices implemented as part of Humboldt Redwood Company’s Habitat Conservation Plan and Watershed Analysis prescriptions, in limiting the delivery of management-derived sediment. A paired watershed study format is being utilized to...

Offsetting the impacts of mining to achieve no net loss of native vegetation.

PubMed

Sonter, L J; Barrett, D J; Soares-Filho, B S

2014-08-01

Offsets are a novel conservation tool, yet using them to achieve no net loss of biodiversity is challenging. This is especially true when using conservation offsets (i.e., protected areas) because achieving no net loss requires avoiding equivalent loss. Our objective was to determine if offsetting the impacts of mining achieves no net loss of native vegetation in Brazil's largest iron mining region. We used a land-use change model to simulate deforestation by mining to 2020; developed a model to allocate conservation offsets to the landscape under 3 scenarios (baseline, no new offsets; current practice, like-for-like [by vegetation type] conservation offsetting near the impact site; and threat scenario, like-for-like conservation offsetting of highly threatened vegetation); and simulated nonmining deforestation to 2020 for each scenario to quantify avoided deforestation achieved with offsets. Mines cleared 3570 ha of native vegetation by 2020. Under a 1:4 offset ratio, mining companies would be required to conserve >14,200 ha of native vegetation, doubling the current extent of protected areas in the region. Allocating offsets under current practice avoided deforestation equivalent to 3% of that caused by mining, whereas allocating under the threat scenario avoided 9%. Current practice failed to achieve no net loss because offsets did not conserve threatened vegetation. Explicit allocation of offsets to threatened vegetation also failed because the most threatened vegetation was widely dispersed across the landscape, making conservation logistically difficult. To achieve no net loss with conservation offsets requires information on regional deforestation trajectories and the distribution of threatened vegetation. However, in some regions achieving no net loss through conservation may be impossible. In these cases, other offsetting activities, such as revegetation, will be required. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Regional effects of agricultural conservation practices on nutrient transport in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Despite progress in the implementation of conservation practices, related improvements in water quality have been challenging to measure in larger river systems. In this paper we quantify these downstream effects by applying the empirical U.S. Geological Survey water-quality model SPARROW to inves...

The Potential Importance of Conservation, Restoration, and Altered Management Practices for Water Quality in the Wabash River Watershed

EPA Science Inventory

Non-point source (NPS) pollution is one of the leading causes of water quality impairment within the United States. Conservation, restoration and altered management (CRAM) practices may effectively reduce NPS pollutants discharge into receiving water bodies and enhance local and ...

7 CFR 1466.10 - Conservation practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... prior to application for assistance. (d) Where new technologies or management approaches that provide a... the public. (b) Payments will not be made to a participant for a conservation practice that either the applicant or another producer has applied prior to application for the program. Payments will not be made...

7 CFR 1466.10 - Conservation practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... prior to application for assistance. (d) Where new technologies or management approaches that provide a... the public. (b) Payments will not be made to a participant for a conservation practice that either the applicant or another producer has applied prior to application for the program. Payments will not be made...

Impact of agronomic practices on soil biological properties on the Texas High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Semiarid environments of the Texas High Plains decrease soil organic carbon and soil residue building resulting in difficult conditions for soil microbes. Current conservation practices such as conservation tillage, crop rotation, and cover cropping have not been quickly adopted in the area. In or...

Effectiveness of conservation practices within watersheds: Case study in tile-drained systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effectiveness of conservation practices are governed in part by the spatial and temporal patterns of water flow as runoff and subsurface (tile) drainage. The variability in patterns of nitrate loss were examined using data from different sized catchments with four CEAP watersheds located in cent...

A twice-paired watershed experimental design to assess stacked practices through field-edge monitoring

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To improve our ability to reduce nutrient losses from agricultural lands to receiving waters, comprehensive approaches that employ a variety of conservation practices placed within and below field edges will be needed. There is a need to obtain experimental data to better understand how conservation...

Agricultural conservation planning framework: 1. Developing multi-practice watershed planning scenarios and assessing nutrient reduction potential

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We show that spatial data on soils, land use, and high-resolution topography, combined with knowledge of conservation practice effectiveness, can be leveraged to identify and assess alternatives to reduce nutrient discharge from small (HUC12) agricultural watersheds. Databases comprising soil attrib...

Impact of buffer type on streamside nutrient concentrations in Upper Big Walnut Creek, Ohio

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The identification and assessment of conservation practices continues to be important for the protection of natural resources. Buffers, also referred to as filter strips, buffer strips, riparian buffers, or vegetative filters are one of the most common types of conservation practice installed in the...

Simulating runoff from small grazed pasture watersheds located at North Appalachian Experimental Watershed in Ohio

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Runoff from grazing pasture lands can impact water quality in receiving streams if not well managed. Management consists of conservation practices to reduce runoff and pollutants transport. Simulation models have been effectively used to design and implement these conservation practices. The Agricul...

Statistical mechanical foundation of the peridynamic nonlocal continuum theory: energy and momentum conservation laws.

PubMed

Lehoucq, R B; Sears, Mark P

2011-09-01

The purpose of this paper is to derive the energy and momentum conservation laws of the peridynamic nonlocal continuum theory using the principles of classical statistical mechanics. The peridynamic laws allow the consideration of discontinuous motion, or deformation, by relying on integral operators. These operators sum forces and power expenditures separated by a finite distance and so represent nonlocal interaction. The integral operators replace the differential divergence operators conventionally used, thereby obviating special treatment at points of discontinuity. The derivation presented employs a general multibody interatomic potential, avoiding the standard assumption of a pairwise decomposition. The integral operators are also expressed in terms of a stress tensor and heat flux vector under the assumption that these fields are differentiable, demonstrating that the classical continuum energy and momentum conservation laws are consequences of the more general peridynamic laws. An important conclusion is that nonlocal interaction is intrinsic to continuum conservation laws when derived using the principles of statistical mechanics.

The Effects of Water Conservation Instruction on Seventh-Grade Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birch, Sandra K.; Schwaab, Karl E.

1983-01-01

Examined effectiveness of water conservation instructional unit in increasing students' (N=843) knowledge of water conservation practices and influencing their attitudes about efficient water use. Also examined assertion that school education programs are effective in promoting water conservation. Overall results indicate the unit was effective on…

Some Ideas on Interrupting the Right: On Doing Critical Educational Work in Conservative Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apple, Michael W.

2009-01-01

In a considerable number of nations, "conservative modernization" has gained increasing influence. Neo-liberals, neo-conservatives, and new middle-class managerialists have defined the terrain of educational policy and practice. In some nations as well, authoritarian populist religious conservative movements and ideologies have also…

Water Conservation Education with a Rainfall Simulator.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kok, Hans; Kessen, Shelly

1997-01-01

Describes a program in which a rainfall simulator was used to promote water conservation by showing water infiltration, water runoff, and soil erosion. The demonstrations provided a good background for the discussion of issues such as water conservation, crop rotation, and conservation tillage practices. The program raised awareness of…

18 CFR 401.36 - Water supply projects-Conservation requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Water supply projects-Conservation requirements. 401.36 Section 401.36 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Project Review Under Section 3.8 of the...

7 CFR 614.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... and water conservation district, natural resource district, conservation committee, or similar name... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS NRCS APPEAL PROCEDURES § 614.2 Definitions. The following definitions are...

7 CFR 614.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... and water conservation district, natural resource district, conservation committee, or similar name... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS NRCS APPEAL PROCEDURES § 614.2 Definitions. The following definitions are...

Vehicle energy conservation indicating device and process for use

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crump, J.M.

A vehicle energy conservation indicating device comprises an integrated instrument cluster functioning basically as a nomographic computing mechanism. The odometer distance traveled indicator computing mechanism is linked with the fuel indicating gauge mechanism such that a three variable equation computing mechanism is obtained. The three variables are distance traveled, quantity of fuel consumed and distance traveled per unit of fuel consumed. Energy conservation is achieved by operating the vehicle under such performance conditions as to produce the highest possible value for distance traveled per unit of fuel consumed. The instrument panel cluster brings the operator's attention to focus upon andmore » continuously stimulated to conserving energy. Furthermore, the vehicle energy conservation indicating device can be adapted for recording these performance variables on tape type print out. The speedometer advises the vehicle operator when he is obeying or breaking the speed laws which are enforced and monitored by the police with specific punishment prescribed for violations of the law. At this time there is no comparable procedure for enforcing vehicle energy conservation. Thus, this direct read out of distance traveled per unit of energy will moderate the operation in an analogous manner similar to subliminal advertising. This device becomes the focal point of the instrument panel along with the speedometer, thereby providing constant motivation to obey both the speed and energy conservation laws.« less

An In-depth Examination of Farmers' Perceptions of Targeting Conservation Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalcic, Margaret; Prokopy, Linda; Frankenberger, Jane; Chaubey, Indrajeet

2014-10-01

Watershed managers have largely embraced targeting of agricultural conservation as a way to manage strategically non-point source pollution from agricultural lands. However, while targeting of particular watersheds is not uncommon, targeting farms and fields within a specific watershed has lagged. In this work, we employed a qualitative approach, using farmer interviews in west-central Indiana to better understand their views on targeting. Interviews focused on adoption of conservation practices on farmers' lands and identified their views on targeting, disproportionality, and monetary incentives. Results show consistent support for the targeting approach, despite dramatic differences in farmers' views of land stewardship, in their views about disproportionality of water quality impacts, and in their trust in conservation programming. While the theoretical concept of targeting was palatable to all participants, many raised concerns about its practical implementation, pointing to the need for flexibility when applying targeting solutions and revealing misgivings about the government agencies that perform targeting.

CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF EXPORTING DOMESTIC WOOD HARVEST TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES

EPA Science Inventory

Among wealthy countries, increasing imports of natural resources to allow for unchecked consumption and greater domestic environmental conservation has become commonplace. This practice can negatively affect biodiversity conservation planning if natural resource harvest is merely...

Critical factors for sustainable food procurement in zoological collections.

PubMed

Hanson, Jonathan H

2015-01-01

Food procurement can play an important role in sustainable food supply chain management by zoos, linking organizational operations to the biodiversity conservation and sustainability mission of zoological collections. This study therefore examines the critical factors that shape sustainable food procurement in zoo and aquariums. Using a web-based survey data was collected from 41 members of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA). This included information on the sustainable food procurement practices of these institutions for both their human and animal food supply chains, as well as profile information and data on the factors contributing to and inhibiting sustainable procurement practices. Zoological collections operated by charities, and those with a certified sustainability standard, were found to have significantly higher levels of sustainable food procurement. Zoos and aquariums whose human food operations were not contracted to an external party were also found to have significantly higher levels of sustainable food procurement in their human food supply chain. The most important drivers of sustainable food procurement were cost savings, adequate financial support and improved product quality. The highest ranking barriers were higher costs, other issues taking priority and a lack of alternative suppliers. The results suggest that a number of critical factors shape sustainable food procurement in zoological collections in the British Isles. Financial factors, such as cost savings, were important considerations. The significance of mission-related factors, such as charity status, indicated that core values held by zoos and aquariums can also influence their food procurement practices. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Refrigeration Playbook. Heat Reclaim; Optimizing Heat Rejection and Refrigeration Heat Reclaim for Supermarket Energy Conservation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reis, Chuck; Nelson, Eric; Armer, James

The purpose of this playbook and accompanying spreadsheets is to generalize the detailed CBP analysis and to put tools in the hands of experienced refrigeration designers to evaluate multiple applications of refrigeration waste heat reclaim across the United States. Supermarkets with large portfolios of similar buildings can use these tools to assess the impact of large-scale implementation of heat reclaim systems. In addition, the playbook provides best practices for implementing heat reclaim systems to achieve the best long-term performance possible. It includes guidance on operations and maintenance as well as measurement and verification.

7 CFR 610.32 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation of Private Grazing Land... managers to plan and implement resource conservation on grazing land. The objective of planning on grazing...

7 CFR 610.32 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation of Private Grazing Land... managers to plan and implement resource conservation on grazing land. The objective of planning on grazing...

7 CFR 610.32 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation of Private Grazing Land... managers to plan and implement resource conservation on grazing land. The objective of planning on grazing...

7 CFR 610.32 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation of Private Grazing Land... managers to plan and implement resource conservation on grazing land. The objective of planning on grazing...

7 CFR 610.32 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Conservation of Private Grazing Land... managers to plan and implement resource conservation on grazing land. The objective of planning on grazing...

Regional estimates of ecological services derived from U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faulkner, Stephen P.; Baldwin, Michael J.; Barrow, Wylie C.; Waddle, Hardin; Keeland, Bobby D.; Walls, Susan C.; James, Dale; Moorman, Tom

2010-01-01

The degree to which these conservation practices can restore ecosystem functions and services is not well known. This project was initiated to quantify existing ecological services derived from USDA conservation practices in the MAV as part of the USDA Conservation Effects Assessment Project, Wetlands Component (CEAP-Wetlands). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the USDA Farm Service Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Ducks Unlimited, collected data on soils, vegetation, nitrogen cycling, migratory birds, and amphibians from 88 different sites between 2006 and 2008. Results from restored WRP sites were compared to baseline data from active agricultural cropland (AG) to evaluate changes in ecosystem services.

Health Teachers' Perceptions and Teaching Practices Regarding Hearing Loss Conservation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Amy; Pakulski, Lori; Price, James; Kleinfelder, Joanne

2013-01-01

Background: Limited research has examined the role of school health personnel in the prevention and early identification of hearing impairment. Purpose: This study assessed high school health teachers' perceptions and teaching practices regarding hearing loss conservation. Methods: A 26-item survey based on selected components of the health…

The Potential Importance of Conservation, Restoration and Altered Management Practices for Water Quality in the Wabash River Watershed

EPA Science Inventory

The Potential Importance of Conservation, Restoration and Altered Management Practices for Water Quality in the Wabash River Watershed Guoxiang Yang1, Elly P.H. Best2, Staci Goodwin3 1 ORISE Postdoc Research Associate at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk...

Quantifying the effects of conservation practice implementation on predicted runoff and chemical losses under climate change

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool with downscaled weather data generated using the MarkSim weather file generator was used to evaluate the impact of long-term conservation practice implementation on runoff, sediment, atrazine, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses in the AXL Watershed located in n...

Soil nitrogen dynamics and leaching under conservation tillage in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, Georgia, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Conservation tillage (CsT) involves management that reduces soil erosion by maintaining crop residue cover on farm fields. Typically, both infiltration and soil organic matter increase over time with CsT practices. We compared the impact of a commonly used CsT practice, strip tillage (ST), to conven...

An assessment of rangeland activities on wildlife populations and habitats [Chapter 6

Treesearch

Paul R. Krausman; Vernon C. Bleich; William M. Block; David E. Naugle; Mark C. Wallace

2011-01-01

Numerous management practices are applied to rangelands in the western United States to enhance wildlife, including prescribed grazing, burning, brush management, mowing, fencing, land clearing, planting, and restoration to benefit soil and water. indeed, the natural resources conservation service (NRCS) lists 167 conservation practices (http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/...

Can conservation tillage reduce N20 emissions on cropland transitioning to organic vegetable production?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Conservation soil management practices such as no-till (NT) and strip-till (ST) are effective ways to sequester carbon and increase soil organic matter in agricultural lands. However, the impact of these practices on other greenhouse gases (GHG) such as nitrous oxide (N2O) varies depending on soil ...

A proposed NRCS conservation practice standard: Amending soil properties with gypsiferous products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This paper will discuss the proposed new NRCS conservation practice standard regarding the use of gypsiferous products in agriculture. Gypsiferous products include gypsum (CaSO4 .2H2O), has been used as an agricultural soil amendment for over 250 years as a soluble source of calcium and sulfur for ...

A modeling approach to evaluate the impact of conservation practices on runoff and sediments in Sasumua watershed, Kenya

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Degradation of agricultural watersheds often reduces their capacity to provide vital environmental services such as food production, clean potable water, water bodies for recreation and generation of hydro-electric power. Soil and water conservation practices on agricultural lands can enhance the ca...

18 CFR 1b.17 - Appearance and practice before the Commission.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Appearance and practice before the Commission. 1b.17 Section 1b.17 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL RULES RULES RELATING TO INVESTIGATIONS § 1b.17 Appearance...

18 CFR 1b.17 - Appearance and practice before the Commission.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Appearance and practice before the Commission. 1b.17 Section 1b.17 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL RULES RULES RELATING TO INVESTIGATIONS § 1b.17 Appearance...

18 CFR 1b.17 - Appearance and practice before the Commission.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Appearance and practice before the Commission. 1b.17 Section 1b.17 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL RULES RULES RELATING TO INVESTIGATIONS § 1b.17 Appearance...

18 CFR 1b.17 - Appearance and practice before the Commission.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Appearance and practice before the Commission. 1b.17 Section 1b.17 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GENERAL RULES RULES RELATING TO INVESTIGATIONS § 1b.17 Appearance...

Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably.

PubMed

LaCanne, Claire E; Lundgren, Jonathan G

2018-01-01

Most cropland in the United States is characterized by large monocultures, whose productivity is maintained through a strong reliance on costly tillage, external fertilizers, and pesticides (Schipanski et al., 2016). Despite this, farmers have developed a regenerative model of farm production that promotes soil health and biodiversity, while producing nutrient-dense farm products profitably. Little work has focused on the relative costs and benefits of novel regenerative farming operations, which necessitates studying in situ , farmer-defined best management practices. Here, we evaluate the relative effects of regenerative and conventional corn production systems on pest management services, soil conservation, and farmer profitability and productivity throughout the Northern Plains of the United States. Regenerative farming systems provided greater ecosystem services and profitability for farmers than an input-intensive model of corn production. Pests were 10-fold more abundant in insecticide-treated corn fields than on insecticide-free regenerative farms, indicating that farmers who proactively design pest-resilient food systems outperform farmers that react to pests chemically. Regenerative fields had 29% lower grain production but 78% higher profits over traditional corn production systems. Profit was positively correlated with the particulate organic matter of the soil, not yield. These results provide the basis for dialogue on ecologically based farming systems that could be used to simultaneously produce food while conserving our natural resource base: two factors that are pitted against one another in simplified food production systems. To attain this requires a systems-level shift on the farm; simply applying individual regenerative practices within the current production model will not likely produce the documented results.

Description and evaluation of a hearing conservation program in use in a professional symphony orchestra.

PubMed

O'Brien, Ian; Driscoll, Tim; Ackermann, Bronwen

2015-04-01

Professional orchestral musicians risk permanent hearing loss while playing their instruments. Protecting the hearing of these musicians in the workplace is critical to their ongoing ability to play their instruments, but typical workplace hearing conservation measures can have very damaging effects on the product (music) and the musicians' abilities to hear one another sufficiently. To enable effective intervention, orchestras as employers must encourage engagement with hearing protection programs and implement controls while preserving the integrity of the music. To achieve this, typical approaches used in other industries must be redesigned to suit this unique workplace. In response to these challenges, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (Brisbane, Australia) introduced a comprehensive hearing conservation strategy in 2005 based upon best practice at the time. This strategy-which has been regularly refined-continues to be implemented on a daily basis. This investigation aimed to assess the successes, difficulties, and practical viability of the program. To achieve this a process evaluation was carried out, incorporating archival analyses, player and management focus groups, and an interview with the program's administrator. Results show the program has successfully become integrated into the orchestra's and the musicians' daily operations and significantly contributes to managing the risk of hearing loss in this population. While there is room for improvement in the orchestra's approach-particularly regarding usable personal protective devices and improved education and training, results are encouraging. This study provides a basis for those wishing to implement or evaluate similar paradigms. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Negotiating Nature: Collaboration and Conflict between Aboriginal and Conservation Interests in New South Wales, Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Michael

2004-01-01

Faced with the paradox of a large global increase in conservation reserves and a simultaneous global decrease in actual effective protection for biodiversity, conservation scientists and policymakers are questioning established conservation theory and practice. I argue that the fundamental premises, the foundational myths, for Western-style…

The conservation of native priority medicinal plants in a Caatinga area in Ceará, northeastern Brazil.

PubMed

Santos, Maria O; Almeida, Bianca V DE; Ribeiro, Daiany A; Macêdo, Delmacia G DE; Macêdo, Márcia J F; Macedo, Julimery G F; Sousa, Francisca F S DE; Oliveira, Liana G S DE; Saraiva, Manuele E; Araújo, Thatiane M S; Souza, Marta M A

2017-01-01

Much of the Brazilian semiarid region faces a considerable process of degradation of natural resources, and ethnobotanical studies have collaborated with important information about the use and traditional knowledge, serving as a tool to design conservation strategies of native plant species. Thus, this study aimed to determine medicinal species meriting conservation priorities in a "Caatinga" area in the northeastern of Brazilian territory. The ethnobotanical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with key subjects selected through the "snowball" technique. The availability and species conservation priority was verified by relative density, risk of collection, local use and use of diversity in the forest fragment sampled. It was recorded 42 native medicinal plants and conservation priority score was calculated for seven species, including Mimosa tenuiflora, Hymenaea courbaril, Ximenia americana and Amburana cearensis need immediate conservation and attention, since their collection does not occur in a sustainable way. In order to ensure the perpetuation of the species and the sustainability of traditional therapeutic practice there needs to be a development of conservation practices of caatinga remaining to better conserve the species of the biome.

7 CFR 614.3 - Decisions subject to informal appeal procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...) Soil and Water Conservation Program; (iv) Water Bank Program; (v) Watershed Protection and Flood... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS NRCS APPEAL PROCEDURES § 614.3... technical determinations made with respect to: (1) Conservation programs and regulatory requirements...

7 CFR 614.3 - Decisions subject to informal appeal procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...) Soil and Water Conservation Program; (iv) Water Bank Program; (v) Watershed Protection and Flood... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS NRCS APPEAL PROCEDURES § 614.3... technical determinations made with respect to: (1) Conservation programs and regulatory requirements...

7 CFR 611.21 - Availability of aerial photography.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Availability of aerial photography. 611.21 Section 611.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.22 - Availability of satellite imagery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Availability of satellite imagery. 611.22 Section 611.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.20 - Function.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Function. 611.20 Section 611.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations § 611.20 Function. The NRCS National...

7 CFR 611.20 - Function.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Function. 611.20 Section 611.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations § 611.20 Function. The NRCS National...

7 CFR 611.21 - Availability of aerial photography.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Availability of aerial photography. 611.21 Section 611.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.21 - Availability of aerial photography.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Availability of aerial photography. 611.21 Section 611.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.21 - Availability of aerial photography.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Availability of aerial photography. 611.21 Section 611.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.20 - Function.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Function. 611.20 Section 611.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations § 611.20 Function. The NRCS National...

7 CFR 611.20 - Function.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Function. 611.20 Section 611.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations § 611.20 Function. The NRCS National...

7 CFR 611.22 - Availability of satellite imagery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Availability of satellite imagery. 611.22 Section 611.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.22 - Availability of satellite imagery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Availability of satellite imagery. 611.22 Section 611.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.22 - Availability of satellite imagery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Availability of satellite imagery. 611.22 Section 611.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.20 - Function.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Function. 611.20 Section 611.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations § 611.20 Function. The NRCS National...

7 CFR 611.22 - Availability of satellite imagery.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Availability of satellite imagery. 611.22 Section 611.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

7 CFR 611.21 - Availability of aerial photography.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Availability of aerial photography. 611.21 Section 611.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Cartographic Operations...

43 CFR 418.32 - Cooperative programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... THE INTERIOR OPERATING CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR THE NEWLANDS RECLAMATION PROJECT, NEVADA Water... cooperatively to develop a water management and conservation program to promote efficient management of water in..., to improve the District's operations and procedures for greater water delivery conservation. (b) The...

43 CFR 418.32 - Cooperative programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... INTERIOR OPERATING CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR THE NEWLANDS RECLAMATION PROJECT, NEVADA Water Management... cooperatively to develop a water management and conservation program to promote efficient management of water in..., to improve the District's operations and procedures for greater water delivery conservation. (b) The...

43 CFR 418.32 - Cooperative programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... THE INTERIOR OPERATING CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR THE NEWLANDS RECLAMATION PROJECT, NEVADA Water... cooperatively to develop a water management and conservation program to promote efficient management of water in..., to improve the District's operations and procedures for greater water delivery conservation. (b) The...

43 CFR 418.32 - Cooperative programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... THE INTERIOR OPERATING CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR THE NEWLANDS RECLAMATION PROJECT, NEVADA Water... cooperatively to develop a water management and conservation program to promote efficient management of water in..., to improve the District's operations and procedures for greater water delivery conservation. (b) The...

43 CFR 418.32 - Cooperative programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... THE INTERIOR OPERATING CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR THE NEWLANDS RECLAMATION PROJECT, NEVADA Water... cooperatively to develop a water management and conservation program to promote efficient management of water in..., to improve the District's operations and procedures for greater water delivery conservation. (b) The...

Proposed energy conservation contingency plan: emergency restrictions on advertising lighting. Authorities, need, rationale, and operation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The emergency restrictions on advertising lighting proposed in Energy Conservation Contingency Plan No. 5 of 1977 are presented. A statement is given on the need for rationale and operation of the Contingency Plan.

Alternatives for energy conservation in roadway lighting.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-01-01

From a review of some of the possible methods of conserving energy in the operation of roadway lighting, with due consideration being given to traffic operations and safety under the current energy scenario, it was concluded that the most favorable c...

Theorems on symmetries and flux conservation in radiative transfer using the matrix operator theory.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kattawar, G. W.

1973-01-01

The matrix operator approach to radiative transfer is shown to be a very powerful technique in establishing symmetry relations for multiple scattering in inhomogeneous atmospheres. Symmetries are derived for the reflection and transmission operators using only the symmetry of the phase function. These results will mean large savings in computer time and storage for performing calculations for realistic planetary atmospheres using this method. The results have also been extended to establish a condition on the reflection matrix of a boundary in order to preserve reciprocity. Finally energy conservation is rigorously proven for conservative scattering in inhomogeneous atmospheres.

Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework: 3. Land Use and Field Boundary Database Development and Structure.

PubMed

Tomer, Mark D; James, David E; Sandoval-Green, Claudette M J

2017-05-01

Conservation planning information is important for identifying options for watershed water quality improvement and can be developed for use at field, farm, and watershed scales. Translation across scales is a key issue impeding progress at watershed scales because watershed improvement goals must be connected with implementation of farm- and field-level conservation practices to demonstrate success. This is particularly true when examining alternatives for "trap and treat" practices implemented at agricultural-field edges to control (or influence) water flows through fields, landscapes, and riparian corridors within agricultural watersheds. We propose that database structures used in developing conservation planning information can achieve translation across conservation-planning scales, and we developed the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) to enable practical planning applications. The ACPF comprises a planning concept, a database to facilitate field-level and watershed-scale analyses, and an ArcGIS toolbox with Python scripts to identify specific options for placement of conservation practices. This paper appends two prior publications and describes the structure of the ACPF database, which contains land use, crop history, and soils information and is available for download for 6091 HUC12 watersheds located across Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and parts of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin and comprises information on 2.74 × 10 agricultural fields (available through /). Sample results examining land use trends across Iowa and Illinois are presented here to demonstrate potential uses of the database. While designed for use with the ACPF toolbox, users are welcome to use the ACPF watershed data in a variety of planning and modeling approaches. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Large-scale Watershed Modeling: NHDPlus Resolution with Achievable Conservation Scenarios in the Western Lake Erie Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, H.; White, M. J.; Arnold, J. G.; Keitzer, S. C.; Johnson, M. V. V.; Atwood, J. D.; Daggupati, P.; Herbert, M. E.; Sowa, S. P.; Ludsin, S.; Robertson, D. M.; Srinivasan, R.; Rewa, C. A.

2016-12-01

By the substantial improvement of computer technology, large-scale watershed modeling has become practically feasible in conducting detailed investigations of hydrologic, sediment, and nutrient processes. In the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB), water quality issues caused by anthropogenic activities are not just interesting research subjects but, have implications related to human health and welfare, as well as ecological integrity, resistance, and resilience. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the finest resolution stream network, NHDPlus, were implemented on the WLEB to examine the interactions between achievable conservation scenarios with corresponding additional projected costs. During the calibration/validation processes, both hard (temporal) and soft (non-temporal) data were used to ensure the modeling outputs are coherent with actual watershed behavior. The results showed that widespread adoption of conservation practices intended to provide erosion control could deliver average reductions of sediment and nutrients without additional nutrient management changes. On the other hand, responses of nitrate (NO3) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) dynamics may be different than responses of total nitrogen and total phosphorus dynamics under the same conservation practice. Model results also implied that fewer financial resources are required to achieve conservation goals if the goal is to achieve reductions in targeted watershed outputs (ex. NO3 or DIP) rather than aggregated outputs (ex. total nitrogen or total phosphorus). In addition, it was found that the model's capacity to simulate seasonal effects and responses to changing conservation adoption on a seasonal basis could provide a useful index to help alleviate additional cost through temporal targeting of conservation practices. Scientists, engineers, and stakeholders can take advantage of the work performed in this study as essential information while conducting policy making processes in the future.

Are we making the grade? Practices and reported efficacy measures of primate conservation education programs.

PubMed

Kling, Katherine J; Hopkins, Mariah E

2015-04-01

Conservation education is often employed alongside primate conservation efforts with the aim of changing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward non-human primates. Recommended best-use practices include longevity, use of program incentives, collaboration among educators, and adaptive program assessment, among others. This study surveys primate conservation education programs (PCEPs) to assess the frequency of suggested best-use practices, and to investigate impacts on program efficacy. Online surveys were collected from PCEPs in 2013-2014 (N = 43). The majority of programs reported lengths of 5-10 years, with participant involvement ranging widely from a day to several years. Non-economic and economic incentives were distributed by approximately half of all programs, with programs that provided economic incentives reporting positive participant attitude changes more frequently than those that did not (P = 0.03). While >70% of PCEPs consulted with community leaders, local teachers, and research scientists, only 45.9% collaborated with other conservation educators and only 27% collaborated with cultural experts such as cultural anthropologists. Programs that collaborated with other conservation educators were more likely to report reductions in threats to primates, specifically to bushmeat hunting and capture of primates for the pet trade (P = 0.07). Formal program evaluations were employed by 72.1% of all programs, with the majority of programs using surveys to assess changes to participant attitudes and knowledge. Formal evaluations of participant behavior, community attitudes and behaviors, and threats to primate populations were less common. While results indicate that PCEPs follow many suggested best-use practices, program impacts may be enhanced by greater discussion of economic incentivization, increased collaboration between conservation educators, and improved commitment to adaptive evaluation of changes to behaviors in addition to attitudes and knowledge. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Arid Green Infrastructure for Water Control and Conservation ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Green infrastructure is an approach to managing wet weather flows using systems and practices that mimic natural processes. It is designed to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible and protect the quality of receiving waters. Although most green infrastructure practices were first developed in temperate climates, green infrastructure also can be a cost-effective approach to stormwater management and water conservation in arid and semi-arid regions, such as those found in the western and southwestern United States. Green infrastructure practices can be applied at the site, neighborhood and watershed scales. In addition to water management and conservation, implementing green infrastructure confers many social and economic benefits and can address issues of environmental justice. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commissioned a literature review to identify the state-of-the science practices dealing with water control and conservation in arid and semi-arid regions, with emphasis on these regions in the United States. The search focused on stormwater control measures or practices that slow, capture, treat, infiltrate and/or store runoff at its source (i.e., green infrastructure). The material in Chapters 1 through 3 provides background to EPA’s current activities related to the application of green infrastructure practices in arid and semi-arid regions. An introduction to the topic of green infrastructure in arid and semi-arid regions i

The PSML format and library for norm-conserving pseudopotential data curation and interoperability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García, Alberto; Verstraete, Matthieu J.; Pouillon, Yann; Junquera, Javier

2018-06-01

Norm-conserving pseudopotentials are used by a significant number of electronic-structure packages, but the practical differences among codes in the handling of the associated data hinder their interoperability and make it difficult to compare their results. At the same time, existing formats lack provenance data, which makes it difficult to track and document computational workflows. To address these problems, we first propose a file format (PSML) that maps the basic concepts of the norm-conserving pseudopotential domain in a flexible form and supports the inclusion of provenance information and other important metadata. Second, we provide a software library (libPSML) that can be used by electronic structure codes to transparently extract the information in the file and adapt it to their own data structures, or to create converters for other formats. Support for the new file format has been already implemented in several pseudopotential generator programs (including ATOM and ONCVPSP), and the library has been linked with SIESTA and ABINIT, allowing them to work with the same pseudopotential operator (with the same local part and fully non-local projectors) thus easing the comparison of their results for the structural and electronic properties, as shown for several example systems. This methodology can be easily transferred to any other package that uses norm-conserving pseudopotentials, and offers a proof-of-concept for a general approach to interoperability.

Use of gastrografin in the management of worm-induced small bowel obstruction in children.

PubMed

Hamid, Raashid; Bhat, Nisar; Baba, Aejaz; Mufti, Gowhar; Khursheed, Sheikh; Wani, Sajad A; Ali, Imran; Hassan, Faheem

2015-12-01

Ascaris-induced small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common sequel of Ascaris lumbricoides (AL) infestation. Most cases respond to conservative treatment practiced in different centers worldwide. We conceived a prospective randomized trial to compare the conservative treatment with gastrografin administered in addition to the conservative treatment. This prospective randomized study was conducted between January 2011 and June 2014 at Department of Paediatric and Neonatal Surgery, a tertiary-care hospital. Patients were divided into two groups, one group received conservative treatment and the other received gastrografin in addition to conservative treatment. Forty patients having uncomplicated AL-induced SBO were included in each group. Gastrografin was administered through nasogastric tube and serial clinical and radiological monitoring was performed. The duration of hospital stay, time between admission and first oral feed, passage of worms/flatus were compared in the two groups. Student's t test was used for comparing these variables. Average time for passage of flatus or worms and resolution of abdominal signs and was shorter in gastrografin group as compared to the conservative group. This difference was found to be statistically significant. The average duration of hospital stay in gastrografin group was 25.20 ± 8.01 h whereas it was 61.12 ± 14.64 h in the conservative group (P < 0.001). The difference in the operation rate was statistically insignificant (2 in gastrografin group and 3 in the conservative group).No serious adverse reaction was noted after gastrografin administration. Use of gastrografin resulted in faster relief of signs and symptoms of AL-induced SBO, early passage of worms/flatus and return to oral feeds. However, the role of gastrografin role in reducing the likelihood of laparotomy remains inconclusive. Adverse effects of gastrografin can be prevented if it is used in well-hydrated patients.

7 CFR 614.3 - Decisions subject to informal appeal procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Innovation Grants, (E) Ground and Surface Water Conservation Program, (F) Klamath Basin Program, and (G... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS NRCS APPEAL PROCEDURES § 614.3... technical determinations made with respect to: (1) Conservation programs and regulatory requirements...

7 CFR 614.3 - Decisions subject to informal appeal procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Innovation Grants, (E) Ground and Surface Water Conservation Program, (F) Klamath Basin Program, and (G... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS NRCS APPEAL PROCEDURES § 614.3... technical determinations made with respect to: (1) Conservation programs and regulatory requirements...

7 CFR 1469.7 - Benchmark condition inventory and conservation stewardship plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Benchmark condition inventory and conservation...) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM General Provisions § 1469.7 Benchmark condition inventory and conservation stewardship...

7 CFR 1468.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... conservation planning; conservation practice survey, layout, design, installation, and certification; training... representatives of FSA, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), the...

7 CFR 1468.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... conservation planning; conservation practice survey, layout, design, installation, and certification; training... representatives of FSA, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), the...

26 CFR 41.4483-3 - Exemption for trucks used for 5,000 or fewer miles and agricultural vehicles used for 7,500 or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

.... (D) Use of a highway motor vehicle in connection with the operation, management, conservation... it is used in connection with the operation, management, conservation, improvement, or maintenance of... by a processing operation from its raw or natural state. For example, juice which has been extracted...

Hydatid disease of the chest

PubMed Central

Xanthakis, D.; Efthimiadis, M.; Papadakis, G.; Primikirios, N.; Chassapakis, G.; Roussaki, A.; Veranis, N.; Akrivakis, A.; Aligizakis, C. J.

1972-01-01

Ninety-one cases of hydatid disease of the chest are reported. Eighty-eight were involving the lung, two the chest wall, and one the mediastinum. All the patients were treated surgically. Conservative operations (simple removal of the parasite and closure of the remaining cavity) were performed in 78 patients, 37 unruptured and 41 ruptured cysts. Late postoperative complications occurred in eleven. In 10 patients, recurrent haemoptysis was the main symptom due to residual cavity in four, bronchiectatic changes in two, and unknown aetiology in four. In one patient, recurrence of multiple cysts occurred in the affected lobe. Radical operations were carried out in 10 patients, including segmental resection in four and lobectomy in six. Conservative operations were performed in all cases of unruptured cysts, with the exception of a giant cyst in which resection was the operation of choice. For ruptured cysts with mild infection conservative operation was also performed. Resection was necessary only in patients with ruptured cysts with suppuration, bronchiectatic changes, and giant cysts replacing a whole lobe. There was no mortality. We believe that conservative operation is the treatment of choice for hydatid disease of the lung. Indications for resection are very limited. Images

Going Green Doesn't Have to Be Sexy: Lakeland Community College's Practical Approach to Addressing Energy Conservation and Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayher, Michael E.

2010-01-01

Lakeland Community College is recognized for its energy conservation leadership in Ohio and nationally. The college's program will detail the practical, incremental approach taken in Lakeland's "Energy Journey." Setting the standard statewide, that journey recently resulted in a sustainable, guaranteed reduction of energy use by 40%.

Long-term N fertilization and conservation tillage practices conserve surface but not profile SOC stocks under semi-arid irrigated corn

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

No tillage (NT) and N fertilization can increase surface soil organic C (SOC) stocks, but the effects deeper in the soil profile are uncertain. Subsequent tillage could counter SOC stabilized through NT practices by disrupting soil aggregation and promoting decomposition. We followed a long-term ti...

7 CFR 611.10 - Standards, guidelines, and plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Soil Survey Operations § 611.10 Standards, guidelines, and plans. (a) NRCS conducts soil surveys under national standards and guidelines for naming, classifying, and interpreting soils and for disseminating soil survey information. (b...

7 CFR 611.10 - Standards, guidelines, and plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Soil Survey Operations § 611.10 Standards, guidelines, and plans. (a) NRCS conducts soil surveys under national standards and guidelines for naming, classifying, and interpreting soils and for disseminating soil survey information. (b...

7 CFR 611.10 - Standards, guidelines, and plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Soil Survey Operations § 611.10 Standards, guidelines, and plans. (a) NRCS conducts soil surveys under national standards and guidelines for naming, classifying, and interpreting soils and for disseminating soil survey information. (b...

7 CFR 611.10 - Standards, guidelines, and plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Soil Survey Operations § 611.10 Standards, guidelines, and plans. (a) NRCS conducts soil surveys under national standards and guidelines for naming, classifying, and interpreting soils and for disseminating soil survey information. (b...

7 CFR 611.10 - Standards, guidelines, and plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS Soil Survey Operations § 611.10 Standards, guidelines, and plans. (a) NRCS conducts soil surveys under national standards and guidelines for naming, classifying, and interpreting soils and for disseminating soil survey information. (b...

From environmental to ecological ethics: toward a practical ethics for ecologists and conservationists.

PubMed

Minteer, Ben A; Collins, James P

2008-12-01

Ecological research and conservation practice frequently raise difficult and varied ethical questions for scientific investigators and managers, including duties to public welfare, nonhuman individuals (i.e., animals and plants), populations, and ecosystems. The field of environmental ethics has contributed much to the understanding of general duties and values to nature, but it has not developed the resources to address the diverse and often unique practical concerns of ecological researchers and managers in the field, lab, and conservation facility. The emerging field of "ecological ethics" is a practical or scientific ethics that offers a superior approach to the ethical dilemmas of the ecologist and conservation manager. Even though ecological ethics necessarily draws from the principles and commitments of mainstream environmental ethics, it is normatively pluralistic, including as well the frameworks of animal, research, and professional ethics. It is also methodologically pragmatic, focused on the practical problems of researchers and managers and informed by these problems in turn. The ecological ethics model offers environmental scientists and practitioners a useful analytical tool for identifying, clarifying, and harmonizing values and positions in challenging ecological research and management situations. Just as bioethics provides a critical intellectual and problem-solving service to the biomedical community, ecological ethics can help inform and improve ethical decision making in the ecology and conservation communities.

Numerical Methods for Nonlinear Fokker-Planck Collision Operator in TEMPEST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerbel, G.; Xiong, Z.

2006-10-01

Early implementations of Fokker-Planck collision operator and moment computations in TEMPEST used low order polynomial interpolation schemes to reuse conservative operators developed for speed/pitch-angle (v, θ) coordinates. When this approach proved to be too inaccurate we developed an alternative higher order interpolation scheme for the Rosenbluth potentials and a high order finite volume method in TEMPEST (,) coordinates. The collision operator is thus generated by using the expansion technique in (v, θ) coordinates for the diffusion coefficients only, and then the fluxes for the conservative differencing are computed directly in the TEMPEST (,) coordinates. Combined with a cut-cell treatment at the turning-point boundary, this new approach is shown to have much better accuracy and conservation properties.

7 CFR 1465.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... document that identifies the location and timing of conservation practices that the participant agrees to... Chief of NRCS, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), or designee. Conservation district means... law for the express purpose of developing and carrying out a local soil and water conservation program...

7 CFR 1465.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... document that identifies the location and timing of conservation practices that the participant agrees to... Chief of NRCS, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), or designee. Conservation district means... law for the express purpose of developing and carrying out a local soil and water conservation program...

7 CFR 1465.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... document that identifies the location and timing of conservation practices that the participant agrees to... Chief of NRCS, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), or designee. Conservation district means... law for the express purpose of developing and carrying out a local soil and water conservation program...

Conservative care as a treatment option for patients aged 75 years and older with CKD stage V: a National survey in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Susanto, Christopher; Kooman, J; Courtens, A M; Konings, C J A M

2018-01-01

Conservative care for patients aged 75 years and older with CKD stage 5 as a treatment option besides dialysis was proposed officially in the Netherlands in October 2016. This national survey showed the current implementation of this option in Netherlands nephrology departments. A web-based survey was sent to medical managers of 60 nephrology departments in the Netherlands in August 2016. Twenty-one medical managers (35%) completed the survey. The term "conservative care" is frequently used and well known. The estimated number of patients in whom the decision for maximal conservative care was made in 2015 was 310 of 2249 patients with CKD stage 5 age 75 years and older (range 5-50 patients per department). 164 patients became symptomatic and received no dialysis. There is no official registration for this treatment option and patient category. The practice patterns vary widely. Only one of 21 respondents reported a conservative care outpatient clinic. Formal training or education regarding conservative care is not available in most of departments. 95% of respondents discussed this treatment option with their patients. General practitioners are always being informed about their patient's decision. Their main role is providing or organizing palliative care support at the end of life and discussing advance care planning. Most respondents (86%) considered to include their patients in a prospective multicentre observational study, conservative care versus dialysis. Conservative care as a treatment option for patients with CKD stage 5 aged 75 years and older is well established. The practice patterns are varied in the Netherlands. Follow-up studies are needed to see whether the new multidisciplinary guideline facilitates harmonization of practice pattern. Funding is needed to optimize the implementation of conservative care.

75 FR 62850 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permit; Habitat Conservation Plan for Operation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-13

...] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permit; Habitat Conservation Plan for Operation and... as endangered or threatened. The term ``take'' means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound.... Both adults and fledglings are known to [[Page 62851

A d-dimensional stress tensor for Minkd+2 gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kapec, Daniel; Mitra, Prahar

2018-05-01

We consider the tree-level scattering of massless particles in ( d+2)-dimensional asymptotically flat spacetimes. The S -matrix elements are recast as correlation functions of local operators living on a space-like cut ℳ d of the null momentum cone. The Lorentz group SO( d + 1 , 1) is nonlinearly realized as the Euclidean conformal group on ℳ d . Operators of non-trivial spin arise from massless particles transforming in non-trivial representations of the little group SO( d), and distinguished operators arise from the soft-insertions of gauge bosons and gravitons. The leading soft-photon operator is the shadow transform of a conserved spin-one primary operator J a , and the subleading soft-graviton operator is the shadow transform of a conserved spin-two symmetric traceless primary operator T ab . The universal form of the soft-limits ensures that J a and T ab obey the Ward identities expected of a conserved current and energy momentum tensor in a Euclidean CFT d , respectively.

Conservative DEC Discretization of Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations on Arbitrary Surface Simplicial Meshes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, Mamdouh; Hirani, Anil; Samtaney, Ravi

2017-11-01

A conservative discretization of incompressible Navier-Stokes equations over surfaces is developed using discrete exterior calculus (DEC). The mimetic character of many of the DEC operators provides exact conservation of both mass and vorticity, in addition to superior kinetic energy conservation. The employment of signed diagonal Hodge star operators, while using the circumcentric dual defined on arbitrary meshes, is shown to produce correct solutions even when many non-Delaunay triangles pairs exist. This allows the DEC discretization to admit arbitrary surface simplicial meshes, in contrast to the previously held notion that DEC was limited only to Delaunay meshes. The discretization scheme is presented along with several numerical test cases demonstrating its numerical convergence and conservation properties. Recent developments regarding the extension to conservative higher order methods are also presented. KAUST Baseline Research Funds of R. Samtaney.

7 CFR 1468.4 - Establishing Conservation Farm Option (CFO) pilot project areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Establishing Conservation Farm Option (CFO) pilot...) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION FARM OPTION General Provisions § 1468.4 Establishing Conservation Farm Option (CFO) pilot project areas...

10 CFR 436.104 - Energy conservation measures and standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Energy conservation measures and standards. 436.104 Section 436.104 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Guidelines for General Operations Plans § 436.104 Energy conservation measures and standards. (a...

10 CFR 436.104 - Energy conservation measures and standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Energy conservation measures and standards. 436.104 Section 436.104 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Guidelines for General Operations Plans § 436.104 Energy conservation measures and standards. (a...

10 CFR 436.104 - Energy conservation measures and standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Energy conservation measures and standards. 436.104 Section 436.104 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Guidelines for General Operations Plans § 436.104 Energy conservation measures and standards. (a...

10 CFR 436.104 - Energy conservation measures and standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Energy conservation measures and standards. 436.104 Section 436.104 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Guidelines for General Operations Plans § 436.104 Energy conservation measures and standards. (a...

10 CFR 436.104 - Energy conservation measures and standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Energy conservation measures and standards. 436.104 Section 436.104 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Guidelines for General Operations Plans § 436.104 Energy conservation measures and standards. (a...

Hearing conservation and noise management practices in professional orchestras.

PubMed

O'Brien, Ian; Driscoll, Tim; Ackermann, Bronwen

2012-01-01

Hearing conservation and noise exposure management for professional orchestras is a difficult issue resistant to standard control measures as used in other industries with excessive noise problems. Although there has been a great deal of research into this area in terms of the audiological status of musicians and their exposure to noise, there are relatively few industry-specific strategies that can be adopted by an orchestra looking to address these issues. Australia does not have a uniform approach to hearing conservation management in its orchestras; however, each orchestra actively grapples with the challenges of balancing legal, practical, and artistic concerns. This study systematically investigated hearing conservation practices, noise exposure management, and audiological screening protocols in eight professional orchestras. The research involved personal interviews with staff at each orchestra, including inspection of venues and facilities. While all these orchestras were aware of the risks and were actively taking significant steps to reduce noise exposure, a range of approaches, with varying degrees of effectiveness and understanding of the issue, were found across the sector. There was limited evidence of educational programs for either the musicians at risk of excessive noise exposure or the staff responsible for devising and implementing control measures. In addition, the reported use of adequate personal hearing protection by musicians was poor. As Australia has recently introduced a national approach to workplace health and safety, a similar approach to noise and audiological management across the country's orchestral sector is proposed, drawn from existing research and practice. This will enable both consistent procedures and meaningful dialogue between the orchestras on the topics of hearing conservation, audiological monitoring, and educational practices.

The need for environmental horizon scanning.

PubMed

Sutherland, William J; Woodroof, Harry J

2009-10-01

Policymakers and practitioners in most fields, including conservation and the environment, often make decisions based on insufficient evidence. One reason for this is that issues appear unexpectedly, when with hindsight, many of them were foreseeable. A solution to the problem of being insufficiently prepared is routine horizon scanning, which we describe as the systematic search for potential threats and opportunities that are currently poorly recognized. Researchers can then decide which issues might be most worthwhile to study. Practitioners can also use horizon scanning to ensure timely policy development and research procurement. Here, we suggest that horizon scanning is an underused tool that should become a standard element of environmental and conservation practice. We make recommendations for its incorporation into research, policy and practice. We argue that, as an ecological and conservation community, we are failing to provide timely advice owing to a weakness in identifying forthcoming issues. We outline possible horizon-scanning methods, and also make recommendations as to how horizon scanning could have a more central role in environmental and conservation practice.

Conservation genomics of natural and managed populations: building a conceptual and practical framework.

PubMed

Benestan, Laura Marilyn; Ferchaud, Anne-Laure; Hohenlohe, Paul A; Garner, Brittany A; Naylor, Gavin J P; Baums, Iliana Brigitta; Schwartz, Michael K; Kelley, Joanna L; Luikart, Gordon

2016-07-01

The boom of massive parallel sequencing (MPS) technology and its applications in conservation of natural and managed populations brings new opportunities and challenges to meet the scientific questions that can be addressed. Genomic conservation offers a wide range of approaches and analytical techniques, with their respective strengths and weaknesses that rely on several implicit assumptions. However, finding the most suitable approaches and analysis regarding our scientific question are often difficult and time-consuming. To address this gap, a recent workshop entitled 'ConGen 2015' was held at Montana University in order to bring together the knowledge accumulated in this field and to provide training in conceptual and practical aspects of data analysis applied to the field of conservation and evolutionary genomics. Here, we summarize the expertise yield by each instructor that has led us to consider the importance of keeping in mind the scientific question from sampling to management practices along with the selection of appropriate genomics tools and bioinformatics challenges. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impacts of Personal Experience: Informing Water Conservation Extension Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Pei-wen; Lamm, Alexa J.

2017-01-01

Extension educators have diligently educated the general public about water conservation. Incorporating audiences' personal experience into educational programming is recommended as an approach to effectively enhance audiences' adoption of water conservation practices. To ensure the impact on the audiences and environment, understanding the…

18 CFR 430.3 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Purpose. 430.3 Section 430.3 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION SPECIAL REGULATIONS... implement reasonable water conservation measures and practices, to assure efficient use of limited water...

18 CFR 430.3 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Purpose. 430.3 Section 430.3 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION SPECIAL REGULATIONS... implement reasonable water conservation measures and practices, to assure efficient use of limited water...

18 CFR 430.3 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Purpose. 430.3 Section 430.3 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION SPECIAL REGULATIONS... implement reasonable water conservation measures and practices, to assure efficient use of limited water...

18 CFR 430.3 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2013-04-01 2012-04-01 true Purpose. 430.3 Section 430.3 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION SPECIAL REGULATIONS... implement reasonable water conservation measures and practices, to assure efficient use of limited water...

18 CFR 430.3 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Purpose. 430.3 Section 430.3 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION SPECIAL REGULATIONS... implement reasonable water conservation measures and practices, to assure efficient use of limited water...

Soil carbon and soil respiration in conservation agriculture with vegetables in Siem Reap, Cambodia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A balance between food production and environmental protection is required to sustainably feed a growing population. The resource saving concept of conservation agriculture aims to achieve this balance through implementing simultaneously three conservation practices; no-till, continuous soil cover, ...

Impacts of climate and land use change on reservoir sedimentation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Impacts of evolving climate and implementation of upstream soil conservation measures on sedimentation of the Fort Cobb Reservoir in West-Central Oklahoma are investigated. Conservation practices before the 1950s were few. Between 1950 and 2008, extensive soil conservation measures were implemented...

Nodes, networks, and MUMs: Preserving diversity at all scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noss, Reed F.; Harris, Larry D.

1986-05-01

The present focus of practical conservation efforts is limited in scope. This narrowness results in an inability to evaluate and manage phenomena that operate at large spatiotemporal scales. Whereas real ecological phenomena function in a space-time mosaic across a full hierarchy of biological entities and processes, current conservation strategies address a limited spectrum of this complexity. Conservation typically is static (time-limited), concentrates on the habitat content rather than the landscape context of protected areas, evaluates relatively homogeneous communities instead of heterogeneous landscapes, and directs attention to particular species populations and/or the aggregate statistic of species diversity. Insufficient attention has been given to broad ecological patterns and processes and to the conservation of species in natural relative abundance patterns (native diversity). The authors present a conceptual scheme that evaluates not only habitat content within protected areas, but also the landscape context in which each preserve exists. Nodes of concentrated ecological value exist in each landscape at all levels in the biological hierarchy. Integration of these high-quality nodes into a functional network is possible through the establishment of a system of interconnected multiple-use modules (MUMs). The MUM network protects and buffers important ecological entities and phenomena, while encouraging movement of individuals, species, nutrients, energy, and even habitat patches across space and time. An example is presented for the southeastern USA (south Georgia-north Florida), that uses riparian and coastal corridors to interconnect existing protected areas. This scheme will facilitate reintroduction and preservation of wide-ranging species such as the Florida panther, and help reconcile species-level and ecosystem-level conservation approaches.

Acute appendicitis in children: not only surgical treatment.

PubMed

Caruso, Anna Maria; Pane, Alessandro; Garau, Roberto; Atzori, Pietro; Podda, Marcello; Casuccio, Alessandra; Mascia, Luigi

2017-03-01

An accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis is important to avoid severe outcome or unnecessary surgery but management is controversial. The aim of study was to evaluate, in younger and older children, the efficacy of conservative management for uncomplicated appendicitis and the outcome of complicated forms underwent early surgery. Children with acute appendicitis were investigated by clinical, laboratory variables and abdominal ultrasound and divided in two groups: complicated and uncomplicated. Complicated appendicitis underwent early surgery; uncomplicated appendicitis started conservative treatment with antibiotic. If in the next 24-48h it was worsening, the conservative approach failed and patients underwent late surgery. A total of 362 pediatric patients were included. One hundred sixty-five underwent early appendectomy; 197 patients were at first treated conservatively: of these, 82 were operated within 24-48h for failure. The total percentage of operated patients was 68.2%. An elevated association was found between surgery and ultrasound. Conservative treatment for uncomplicated appendicitis had high percentage of success (58%). Complications in operated patients were infrequent. Our protocol was effective in order to decide which patients treat early surgically and which conservatively; specific red flags (age and onset) can identified patients at most risk of complications or conservative failure. treatment study. II. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conserving and enhancing biological control of nematodes.

PubMed

Timper, Patricia

2014-06-01

Conservation biological control is the modification of the environment or existing practices to protect and enhance antagonistic organisms to reduce damage from pests. This approach to biological control has received insufficient attention compared with inundative applications of microbial antagonists to control nematodes. This review provides examples of how production practices can enhance or diminish biological control of plant-parasitic nematodes and other soilborne pests. Antagonists of nematodes can be enhanced by providing supplementary food sources such as occurs when organic amendments are applied to soil. However, some organic amendments (e.g., manures and plants containing allelopathic compounds) can also be detrimental to nematode antagonists. Plant species and genotype can strongly influence the outcome of biological control. For instance, the susceptibility of the plant to the nematode can determine the effectiveness of control; good hosts will require greater levels of suppression than poor hosts. Plant genotype can also influence the degree of rhizosphere colonization and antibiotic production by antagonists, as well the expression of induced resistance by plants. Production practices such as crop rotation, fallow periods, tillage, and pesticide applications can directly disrupt populations of antagonistic organisms. These practices can also indirectly affect antagonists by reducing their primary nematode host. One of the challenges of conservation biological control is that practices intended to protect or enhance suppression of nematodes may not be effective in all field sites because they are dependent on indigenous antagonists. Ultimately, indicators will need to be identified, such as the presence of particular antagonists, which can guide decisions on where it is practical to use conservation biological control. Antagonists can also be applied to field sites in conjunction with conservation practices to improve the consistency, efficacy, and duration of biological control. In future research, greater use should be made of bioassays that measure nematode suppression because changes in abundance of particular antagonists may not affect biological control of plant parasites.

Conserving and Enhancing Biological Control of Nematodes

PubMed Central

Timper, Patricia

2014-01-01

Conservation biological control is the modification of the environment or existing practices to protect and enhance antagonistic organisms to reduce damage from pests. This approach to biological control has received insufficient attention compared with inundative applications of microbial antagonists to control nematodes. This review provides examples of how production practices can enhance or diminish biological control of plant-parasitic nematodes and other soilborne pests. Antagonists of nematodes can be enhanced by providing supplementary food sources such as occurs when organic amendments are applied to soil. However, some organic amendments (e.g., manures and plants containing allelopathic compounds) can also be detrimental to nematode antagonists. Plant species and genotype can strongly influence the outcome of biological control. For instance, the susceptibility of the plant to the nematode can determine the effectiveness of control; good hosts will require greater levels of suppression than poor hosts. Plant genotype can also influence the degree of rhizosphere colonization and antibiotic production by antagonists, as well the expression of induced resistance by plants. Production practices such as crop rotation, fallow periods, tillage, and pesticide applications can directly disrupt populations of antagonistic organisms. These practices can also indirectly affect antagonists by reducing their primary nematode host. One of the challenges of conservation biological control is that practices intended to protect or enhance suppression of nematodes may not be effective in all field sites because they are dependent on indigenous antagonists. Ultimately, indicators will need to be identified, such as the presence of particular antagonists, which can guide decisions on where it is practical to use conservation biological control. Antagonists can also be applied to field sites in conjunction with conservation practices to improve the consistency, efficacy, and duration of biological control. In future research, greater use should be made of bioassays that measure nematode suppression because changes in abundance of particular antagonists may not affect biological control of plant parasites. PMID:24987159

Factors Affecting Conservation Practice Behavior of CRP Participants in Alabama

Treesearch

Okwudili Onianwa; Gerald Wheelock; Shannon Hendrix

1999-01-01

This study examines the factors that affect conservation practice choices of CRP farmers in Alabama. From over 9,000 contracts enrolled in the state between 1986 and 1995, 594 were randomly selected for the study. A multiple-regression analysis was employed to analyze the data. Results indicate that education, ratio ofcropland in CRP, farm size, gender, prior crop...

Spacing conservation practice: Place-making, social learning, and adaptive governance in natural resource management [Chapter 15

Treesearch

Daniel R. Williams

2018-01-01

Nature conservation constitutes an important realm of professional practice with strong connections to the discourses on nature and sustainability. In recent decades much of that discourse has taken an explicitly spatial turn, observable across numerous domains of ecological, social, and political thought (Williams et al., 2013; Wu, 2006). The aim of this chapter is to...

Agricultural conservation practices and wetland ecosystem services in the wetland-rich Piedmont–Coastal Plain region

Treesearch

Diane De Steven; Richard Lowrance

2011-01-01

In the eastern U.S. Coastal Plain and Piedmont region, diverse inland wetlands (riverine, depressional, wet flats) have been impacted by or converted to agriculture. Farm Bill conservation practices that restore or enhance wetlands can return their ecological functions and services to the agricultural landscape. We review the extent of regional knowledge regarding the...

The Practice of Conservation of Library Materials in Sub-Saharan Africa. Monograph on Africana Librarianship No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojo-Igbinoba, M. E.

This document is concerned with the practice of conservation of library materials in African university libraries south of the Sahara and north of the Limpopo. Data were collected using a questionnaire mailed to 42 university libraries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Responses were received from 27 libraries for a 64% response rate. Data analysis was…

Defining values in place: A practical application for visitor management in protected areas

Treesearch

Gordon Cessford; Mike Edginton

2007-01-01

This paper explores a value specification option to better meet a core information need in protected area management for recreation and conservation. It does not debate the meaning or definition of values, but instead identifies a perspective on values that is aimed at meeting practical conservation management needs. The first part of that perspective involves...

Effect of conservation practices on soil carbon and nitrogen accretion and crop yield in a corn production system in the southeastern coastal plain, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We implemented conservation farming practices (winter cover cropping plus strip tillage) for a non-irrigated corn production system in the southern coastal plain of Georgia, USA that had been previously been managed under a plow and harrow tillage regime. Total soil carbon and nitrogen were measure...

The alignment of agricultural and nature conservation policies in the European Union.

PubMed

Hodge, Ian; Hauck, Jennifer; Bonn, Aletta

2015-08-01

Europe is a region of relatively high population density and productive agriculture subject to substantial government intervention under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Many habitats and species of high conservation interest have been created by the maintenance of agricultural practices over long periods. These practices are often no longer profitable, and nature conservation initiatives require government support to cover the cost for them to be continued. The CAP has been reformed both to reduce production of agricultural commodities at costs in excess of world prices and to establish incentives for landholders to adopt voluntary conservation measures. A separate nature conservation policy has established an extensive series of protected sites (Natura 2000) that has, as yet, failed to halt the loss of biodiversity. Additional broader scale approaches have been advocated for conservation in the wider landscape matrix, including the alignment of agricultural and nature conservation policies, which remains a challenge. Possibilities for alignment include further shifting of funds from general support for farmers toward targeted payments for biodiversity goals at larger scales and adoption of an ecosystem approach. The European response to the competing demands for land resources may offer lessons globally as demands on rural land increase. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

10 CFR Appendix C to Part 436 - General Operations Energy Conservation Measures

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... use of substitutes for live steam where feasible. (23) Improvements in Waste Heat Recovery—Includes measures utilizing waste heat for other purposes. (24) Improvement in Boiler Operations—Includes energy-conserving retrofit measures for boiler operations. (25) Improved Insulation—Includes measures addressing the...

10 CFR Appendix C to Part 436 - General Operations Energy Conservation Measures

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... use of substitutes for live steam where feasible. (23) Improvements in Waste Heat Recovery—Includes measures utilizing waste heat for other purposes. (24) Improvement in Boiler Operations—Includes energy-conserving retrofit measures for boiler operations. (25) Improved Insulation—Includes measures addressing the...

10 CFR Appendix C to Part 436 - General Operations Energy Conservation Measures

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... use of substitutes for live steam where feasible. (23) Improvements in Waste Heat Recovery—Includes measures utilizing waste heat for other purposes. (24) Improvement in Boiler Operations—Includes energy-conserving retrofit measures for boiler operations. (25) Improved Insulation—Includes measures addressing the...

10 CFR Appendix C to Part 436 - General Operations Energy Conservation Measures

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... use of substitutes for live steam where feasible. (23) Improvements in Waste Heat Recovery—Includes measures utilizing waste heat for other purposes. (24) Improvement in Boiler Operations—Includes energy-conserving retrofit measures for boiler operations. (25) Improved Insulation—Includes measures addressing the...

10 CFR Appendix C to Part 436 - General Operations Energy Conservation Measures

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... use of substitutes for live steam where feasible. (23) Improvements in Waste Heat Recovery—Includes measures utilizing waste heat for other purposes. (24) Improvement in Boiler Operations—Includes energy-conserving retrofit measures for boiler operations. (25) Improved Insulation—Includes measures addressing the...

Perioperative blood management strategies for patients undergoing total knee replacement: Where do we stand now?

PubMed Central

Themistoklis, Tzatzairis; Theodosia, Vogiatzaki; Konstantinos, Kazakos; Georgios, Drosos I

2017-01-01

Total knee replacement (TKR) is one of the most common surgeries over the last decade. Patients undergoing TKR are at high risk for postoperative anemia and furthermore for allogeneic blood transfusions (ABT). Complications associated with ABT including chills, rigor, fever, dyspnea, light-headedness should be early recognized in order to lead to a better prognosis. Therefore, perioperative blood management program should be adopted with main aim to reduce the risk of blood transfusion while maximizing hemoglobin simultaneously. Many blood conservation strategies have been attempted including preoperative autologous blood donation, acute normovolemic haemodilution, autologous blood transfusion, intraoperative cell saver, drain clamping, pneumatic tourniquet application, and the use of tranexamic acid. For practical and clinical reasons we will try to classify these strategies in three main stages/pillars: Pre-operative optimization, intra-operative and post-operative protocols. The aim of this work is review the strategies currently in use and reports our experience regarding the perioperative blood management strategies in TKR. PMID:28660135

Endoscopic management of pancreatic fistula after pancreatic and other abdominal surgery.

PubMed

Le Moine, Olivier; Matos, Celso; Closset, Jean; Devière, Jacques

2004-10-01

Post-operative pancreatic fistulae represent a challenge for all the actors in gastroenterology: for surgeons, because they want to prevent and treat conservatively this complication since re-operation is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates; for radiologists, because they have to provide the best staging and informations without any additional risk; and for endoscopists, because endoluminal treatment is emerging as a safe and effective procedure provided it is performed in highly experienced tertiary centres in the setting of a multidisciplinary approach. Herein, we review the definitions, the causes, the staging and the possible options to prevent or treat post-operative pancreatic fistulae. Special attention is paid to the endoscopic management of this complication: including the relief of ductal obstructions, the stenting of leakages and the drainage of bulging or non-bulging fluid collections. Practical problems and issues are clearly outlined as well as the need for future improvements in staging and management of the patients having such complications.

Exploring land developer perspectives on conservation subdivision design and environmentally sustainable land development.

PubMed

Göçmen, Z Aslıgül

2014-11-01

Insight into land developers' perspectives on alternative residential developments and the barriers they experience in trying to develop them can be crucial in efforts to change environmentally damaging low-density, large-lot, and automobile-dependent residential patterns. Using a semi-structured interview instrument followed by short surveys, I examined the views of 16 developers in Waukesha County, WI, USA, a county that has experienced significant development pressures and widespread implementation of conservation subdivision design. The land developer investigation focused on conservation subdivision design familiarity and implementation, and identified a number of barriers that developers experienced in implementing the design. While the majority of the developers appeared familiar with the design and had experience developing conservation subdivisions, their motivations for developing them varied, as did their on-site conservation practices. The barriers included the lack of land use regulations supporting the design, economic factors, community opposition, and a lack of knowledge about sustainable residential development practices. Strategies to promote more environmentally sustainable residential land development patterns include providing a more supportive institutional environment, enacting different regulations and guidelines for natural resources protection, and offering education on ecologically sound development and planning practices.

Hearing conservation practices in eight noisy industries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniell, William E.; Swan, Susan S.; Camp, Janice; Cohen, Martin; McDaniel, Mary M.; Stebbins, John; Leo, Robert

2005-04-01

This study evaluated noise exposures and hearing conservation practices at 76 companies in eight industries with high rates of workers' compensation claims for hearing loss. Nearly all companies had exposures that required a hearing conservation program, and more than half had exposures that required consideration of noise controls. The use of noise measurements and consideration of controls was low in all industries. The completeness of hearing conservation programs was strongly associated with the extent of exposure in an industry, although practices varied widely within industries. Most companies had substantial deficiencies. More than one-third did not conduct annual training, and training had shortcomings at many others. One-third had not conducted audiometry. Hearing protection was commonly underused. Reported use was highest at companies with relatively complete programs, and in industries where exposure was most prevalent and least intermittent. Many employees had difficulty estimating how often, and presumably when, their exposure was excessive. There is a need for new strategies to promote and maintain hearing conservation efforts in noisy industries. The industries with greatest margin for improvement are not the noisiest industries but those where exposure is moderate or intermittent. [Work supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Exploring Land Developer Perspectives on Conservation Subdivision Design and Environmentally Sustainable Land Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Göçmen, Z. Aslıgül

2014-11-01

Insight into land developers' perspectives on alternative residential developments and the barriers they experience in trying to develop them can be crucial in efforts to change environmentally damaging low-density, large-lot, and automobile-dependent residential patterns. Using a semi-structured interview instrument followed by short surveys, I examined the views of 16 developers in Waukesha County, WI, USA, a county that has experienced significant development pressures and widespread implementation of conservation subdivision design. The land developer investigation focused on conservation subdivision design familiarity and implementation, and identified a number of barriers that developers experienced in implementing the design. While the majority of the developers appeared familiar with the design and had experience developing conservation subdivisions, their motivations for developing them varied, as did their on-site conservation practices. The barriers included the lack of land use regulations supporting the design, economic factors, community opposition, and a lack of knowledge about sustainable residential development practices. Strategies to promote more environmentally sustainable residential land development patterns include providing a more supportive institutional environment, enacting different regulations and guidelines for natural resources protection, and offering education on ecologically sound development and planning practices.

Sensors systems for the automation of operations in the ship repair industry.

PubMed

Navarro, Pedro Javier; Muro, Juan Suardíaz; Alcover, Pedro María; Fernández-Isla, Carlos

2013-09-13

Hull cleaning before repainting is a key operation in the maintenance of ships. For years, a method to improve such operation has been sought by means of the robotization of techniques such as grit blasting and ultra high pressure water jetting. Despite this, it continues to be standard practice in shipyards that this process is carried out manually because the developed robotized systems are too expensive to be widely accepted by shipyards. We have chosen to apply a more conservative and realistic approach to this problem, which has resulted in the development of several solutions that have been designed with different automation and operation range degrees. These solutions are fitted with most of the elements already available in many shipyards, so the installation of additional machinery in the workplace would not be necessary. This paper describes the evolutionary development of sensor systems for the automation of the preparation process of ship hull surfaces before the painting process is performed. Such evolution has given rise to the development of new technologies for coating removal.

Sensors Systems for the Automation of Operations in the Ship Repair Industry

PubMed Central

Navarro, Pedro Javier; Muro, Juan Suardíaz; Alcover, Pedro María; Fernández-Isla, Carlos

2013-01-01

Hull cleaning before repainting is a key operation in the maintenance of ships. For years, a method to improve such operation has been sought by means of the robotization of techniques such as grit blasting and ultra high pressure water jetting. Despite this, it continues to be standard practice in shipyards that this process is carried out manually because the developed robotized systems are too expensive to be widely accepted by shipyards. We have chosen to apply a more conservative and realistic approach to this problem, which has resulted in the development of several solutions that have been designed with different automation and operation range degrees. These solutions are fitted with most of the elements already available in many shipyards, so the installation of additional machinery in the workplace would not be necessary. This paper describes the evolutionary development of sensor systems for the automation of the preparation process of ship hull surfaces before the painting process is performed. Such evolution has given rise to the development of new technologies for coating removal. PMID:24064601

Fuel-conservation evaluation of US Army helicopters. Part 6. Performance calculator evaluation. Final report for period ending January 1981

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dominick, F.; Lockwood, R.A.

1986-07-01

The US Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity conducted an evaluation of Flight Management Calculator for the UH-1H. The calculator was a Hewlett-Packard HP-41CV. The performance calculator was evaluated for flight planning and in-flight use during 14 mission flights simulating operational conditions. The calculator was much easier to use in-flight than the operator's manual data. The calculator program needs improvement in the areas of pre-flight planning and execution speed. The mission flights demonstrated a 19% fuel saving using optimum over normal flight profiles in warm temperatures (15/sup 0/C above standard). Savings would be greater at colder temperatures because of increasing compressibilitymore » effects. Acceptable accuracy for individual aircraft under operational conditions may require a regressive analog model in which individual aircraft data are used to update the program. The performance data base for the UH-1H was expanded with level flight and hover data to thrust coefficients and Mach numbers to the practical limits of aircraft operation.« less

Relating management practices and nutrient export in agricultural watersheds of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sprague, Lori A.; Gronberg, Jo Ann M.

2012-01-01

Relations between riverine export (load) of total nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (P) from 133 large agricultural watersheds in the United States and factors affecting nutrient transport were evaluated using empirical regression models. After controlling for anthropogenic inputs and other landscape factors affecting nutrient transport-such as runoff, precipitation, slope, number of reservoirs, irrigated area, and area with subsurface tile drains-the relations between export and the area in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) (N) and conservation tillage (P) were positive. Additional interaction terms indicated that the relations between export and the area in conservation tillage (N) and the CRP (P) progressed from being clearly positive when soil erodibility was low or moderate, to being close to zero when soil erodibility was higher, to possibly being slightly negative only at the 90th to 95th percentile of soil erodibility values. Possible explanations for the increase in nutrient export with increased area in management practices include greater transport of soluble nutrients from areas in conservation tillage; lagged response of stream quality to implementation of management practices because of nitrogen transport in groundwater, time for vegetative cover to mature, and/or prior accumulation of P in soils; or limitations in the management practice and stream monitoring data sets. If lags are occurring, current nutrient export from agricultural watersheds may still be reflecting the influence of agricultural land-use practices that were in place before the implementation of these management practices.

Changes in historical Iowa land cover as context for assessing the environmental benefits of current and future conservation efforts on agricultural lands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gallant, Alisa L.; Sadinski, Walt; Roth, Mark F.; Rewa, Charles A.

2011-01-01

Conservationists and agriculturists face unprecedented challenges trying to minimize tradeoffs between increasing demands for food, fiber, feed, and biofuels and the resulting loss or reduced values of other ecosystem services, such as those derived from wetlands and biodiversity (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment 2005a, 2005c; Maresch et al. 2008). The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-234, Stat. 923, HR 2419, also known as the 2008 Farm Bill) reauthorized the USDA to provide financial incentives for agricultural producers to reduce environmental impacts via multiple conservation programs. Two prominent programs, the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), provide incentives for producers to retire environmentally sensitive croplands, minimize erosion, improve water quality, restore wetlands, and provide wildlife habitat (USDA FSA 2008a, 2008b; USDA NRCS 2002). Other conservation programs (e.g., Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program) provide incentives to implement structural and cultural conservation practices to improve the environmental performance of working agricultural lands. Through its Conservation Effects Assessment Project, USDA is supporting evaluation of the environmental benefits obtained from the public investment in conservation programs and practices to inform decisions on where further investments are warranted (Duriancik et al. 2008; Zinn 1997).

Effects of agricultural conservation practices on N loads in the Mississippi-Atchafalya River Basin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A modeling framework consisting of a farm-scale model, Agricultural Policy Environmental Extender (APEX); a watershedscale model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT); and databases was used in the Conservation Effects Assessment Project to quantify the environmental benefits of conservation practi...

The emergence of place-based conservation [Chapter 1

Treesearch

Daniel R. Williams; William P. Stewart; Linda E. Kruger

2013-01-01

Place has emerged as a significant topic within conservation research and practice. The transformative changes connected to contemporary conservation are related to recognition of multi-scaled, social-ecological dynamics; emergent, multiscaled governance structures; and rising importance of place-specific meanings and local knowledge. These transformative changes are...

Innovating Conservation Agriculture: The Case of No-Till Cropping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coughenour, C. Milton

2003-01-01

The extensive sociological studies of conservation agriculture have provided considerable understanding of farmers' use of conservation practices, but attempts to develop predictive models have failed. Reviews of research findings question the utility of the conceptual and methodological perspectives of prior research. The argument advanced here…

Using Nonfiction Scientific Literature for Conservation Biology Education: The "Tigerland" Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neff, Paula Kleintjes; Weiss, Nicole M.; Middlesworth, Laura; Wierich, Joseph; Beilke, Elizabeth; Lee, Jacqueline; Rohlinger, Spencer; Pletzer, Joshua

2017-01-01

Despite the volume of research published and pedagogy practiced in conservation biology, there is little assessment of the effectiveness of pedagogical techniques for improving undergraduate conservation literacy and student engagement. We evaluated student responses (2009-2011) to reading "Tigerland and Other Unintended Destinations" by…

Conservation and sediment yield on the Fort Cobb reservoir watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Prior to about 1950, conservation practices on the Fort Cobb Reservoir watershed in West-Central Oklahoma were few and mostly demonstration type projects. Extensive soil conservation measures were implemented in the second half of the 20th century. Fortuitously, the U.S. Geological Survey collecte...

18 CFR 367.3960 - Account 396, Power operated equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Account 396, Power operated equipment. 367.3960 Section 367.3960 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY... work exclusive of equipment includible in other accounts. Include, also, the tools and accessories...

18 CFR 367.3960 - Account 396, Power operated equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Account 396, Power operated equipment. 367.3960 Section 367.3960 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY... work exclusive of equipment includible in other accounts. Include, also, the tools and accessories...

18 CFR 367.3960 - Account 396, Power operated equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Account 396, Power operated equipment. 367.3960 Section 367.3960 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY... work exclusive of equipment includible in other accounts. Include, also, the tools and accessories...

18 CFR 284.12 - Standards for pipeline business operations and communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Standards for pipeline business operations and communications. 284.12 Section 284.12 Conservation of Power and Water Resources..., private network connections using internet tools, internet directory services, and internet communication...

18 CFR 367.3960 - Account 396, Power operated equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Account 396, Power operated equipment. 367.3960 Section 367.3960 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY... work exclusive of equipment includible in other accounts. Include, also, the tools and accessories...

18 CFR 376.208 - Effect upon existing Commission requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Effect upon existing Commission requirements. 376.208 Section 376.208 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY...; OPERATIONS DURING EMERGENCY CONDITIONS Commission Operation During Emergency Conditions § 376.208 Effect upon...

18 CFR 376.208 - Effect upon existing Commission requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Effect upon existing Commission requirements. 376.208 Section 376.208 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY...; OPERATIONS DURING EMERGENCY CONDITIONS Commission Operation During Emergency Conditions § 376.208 Effect upon...

18 CFR 376.208 - Effect upon existing Commission requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Effect upon existing Commission requirements. 376.208 Section 376.208 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY...; OPERATIONS DURING EMERGENCY CONDITIONS Commission Operation During Emergency Conditions § 376.208 Effect upon...

18 CFR 376.208 - Effect upon existing Commission requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Effect upon existing Commission requirements. 376.208 Section 376.208 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY...; OPERATIONS DURING EMERGENCY CONDITIONS Commission Operation During Emergency Conditions § 376.208 Effect upon...

18 CFR 376.208 - Effect upon existing Commission requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Effect upon existing Commission requirements. 376.208 Section 376.208 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY...; OPERATIONS DURING EMERGENCY CONDITIONS Commission Operation During Emergency Conditions § 376.208 Effect upon...

7 CFR 611.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS General § 611.1 Purpose and scope. (a) This part sets forth policy on soil survey operations of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). (b) NRCS is responsible for soil survey activities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A soil survey provides...

7 CFR 611.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS General § 611.1 Purpose and scope. (a) This part sets forth policy on soil survey operations of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). (b) NRCS is responsible for soil survey activities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A soil survey provides...

7 CFR 611.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS General § 611.1 Purpose and scope. (a) This part sets forth policy on soil survey operations of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). (b) NRCS is responsible for soil survey activities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A soil survey provides...

7 CFR 611.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS General § 611.1 Purpose and scope. (a) This part sets forth policy on soil survey operations of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). (b) NRCS is responsible for soil survey activities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A soil survey provides...

7 CFR 611.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION OPERATIONS SOIL SURVEYS General § 611.1 Purpose and scope. (a) This part sets forth policy on soil survey operations of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). (b) NRCS is responsible for soil survey activities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A soil survey provides...

'Part of the solution': Developing sustainable energy through co-operatives and learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duguid, Fiona C. B.

After five years of development, WindShare Co-operative in Toronto, Ontario became the first urban wind turbine in North America and the first co-operatively owned and operated wind turbine in Canada. The development of WindShare Co-operative has spurred the growth of a green energy co-operative sector in Ontario. This study, which included 27 interviews and a focus group with members of WindShare Co-operative, focuses on the roles of community-based green energy co-operatives in advancing sustainable energy development and energy literacy. Sustainable energy development is firmly rooted in the triple bottom line of environmental, social and economic success, and green energy co-operatives can be a way to help achieve those successes. Green energy co-operatives are structures for providing renewable energy generation or energy conservation practices, both of which have important environmental impacts regarding climate change and pollution levels. Co-operative structures are supported by processes that include local ownership, democracy, participation, community organizing, learning and social change. These processes have a significant social impact by creating a venue for people to be directly involved in the energy industry, by involving learning through participation in a community-based organization, and by advancing energy literacy within the membership and the general public. In regards to the economic impacts, green energy co-operatives foster a local economy and local investment opportunities, which have repercussions regarding building expertise within Ontario's green energy and co-operative development future, and more generally, captures members' interest because they have a direct stake in the co-operative. This thesis shows that green energy co-operatives, like WindShare, play an important role in advancing sustainable energy development, energy literacy and the triple bottom line. Members of WindShare expressed resounding feelings of pride, efficacy and understanding of WindShare's role in sustainable energy. WindShare Co-operative provided the structure whereby members felt a part of the solution in terms of sustainable energy development. Policies and practices at all levels of government should encourage the advancement of green energy co-operatives to support Canada's efforts at public involvement in combating climate change and pollution.

Energy conservation in Department of Highways and Transportation buildings.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-01-01

This report reviews the policy of the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation toward energy conservation in the operation of its buildings and recommends further measures for conserving energy. The major conclusions are 1. The established ...

A VSA-based strategy for placing conservation buffers in agricultural watersheds.

PubMed

Qiu, Zeyuan

2003-09-01

Conservation buffers have the potential to reduce agricultural nonpoint source pollution and improve terrestrial wildlife habitat, landscape biodiversity, flood control, recreation, and aesthetics. Conservation buffers, streamside areas and riparian wetlands are being used or have been proposed to control agricultural nonpoint source pollution. This paper proposes an innovative strategy for placing conservation buffers based on the able source area (VSA) hydrology. VSAs are small, variable but predictable portion of a watershed that regularly contributes to runoff generation. The VSA-based strategy involves the following three steps: first, identifying VSAs in landscapes based on natural characteristics such as hydrology, land use/cover, topography and soils; second, targeting areas within VSAs for conservation buffers; third, refining the size and location of conservation buffers based on other factors such as weather, environmental objectives, available funding and other best management practices. Building conservation buffers in VSAs allows agricultural runoff to more uniformly enter buffers and stay there longer, which increases the buffer's capacity to remove sediments and nutrients. A field-scale example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the within-VSA conservation buffer scenario relative to a typical edge-of-field buffer scenario. The results enhance the understanding of hydrological processes and interactions between agricultural lands and conservation buffers in agricultural landscapes, and provide practical guidance for land resource managers and conservationists who use conservation buffers to improve water quality and amenity values of agricultural landscape.

Developing an outcome-based biodiversity metric in support of the field to market project: Final report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drew, C. Ashton; Alexander-Vaughn, Louise B.; Collazo, Jaime A.; McKerrow, Alexa; Anderson, John

2013-01-01

Our objective was to create a metric that would calculate the relative impact of common commercial agricultural practices on terrestrial vertebrate richness. We sought to define impacts in fields (including field borders) of the southeastern region’s commercial production of corn, wheat, soy, and cotton. The metric is intended to serve as an educational tool, allowing producers to see how operational decisions made at the field level impact overall vertebrate species richness and to explore decision impacts to targeted species groups (e.g. game, pest, or beneficial species). Agricultural landscapes are often mistakenly thought to be unsuitable habitat for most species. However, as demonstrated by results reported here, even large-scale, conventional agricultural producers are potentially important partners in biodiversity conservation. Many vertebrate species do inhabit agricultural landscapes, benefitting from the provision of water, food, or shelter within cultivated fields and their immediate borders (e.g., Holland et al. 2012). In the Southeastern US, of the 613 terrestrial vertebrate species modeled by the Southeast Gap Analysis Program (SEGAP) (http://www.basic.ncsu.edu/segap/index.html), 263 utilize row crop and associated agricultural land cover classes as potential habitat (Box 1). While some species may be sensitive to certain operational practices (e.g., tillage, pest management, or field border management practices), others are generally tolerant, and some may benefit either directly or indirectly. For example, field margins and ditches often serve as semi-natural habitats providing foraging resources and shelter for vertebrates and are shown to positively influence species richness and abundance (Billeter et al. 2007; Herzon & Helenius 2008; Marshall & Moonen 2002; Shore et al. 2005; Weibull et al. 2003; Wuczyńskia et al. 2011). Biodiversity responses are, therefore, complex, as an individual species’ responses to agricultural production practices depends on that animal’s resource specialization, mobility, and life history strategies (Jeanneret et al. 2003a, b; Jennings & Pocock 2009). The knowledge necessary to define the biodiversity contribution of agricultural lands is specialized, dispersed, and nuanced, and thus not readily accessible. Given access to clearly defined biodiversity tradeoffs between alternative agricultural practices, landowners, land managers and farm operators could collectively enhance the conservation and economic value of agricultural landscapes. Therefore, Field to Market: The Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and The Nature Conservancy jointly funded a pilot project to develop a biodiversity metric to integrate into Field to Market’s existing sustainability calculator, The Fieldprint Calculator (http://www. fieldtomarket.org/). Field to Market: The Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture is an alliance among producers, agribusinesses, food companies, and conservation organizations seeking to create sustainable outcomes for agriculture. The Fieldprint Calculator supports the Keystone Alliance’s vision to achieve safe, accessible, and nutritious food, fiber and fuel in thriving ecosystems to meet the needs of 9 billion people in 2050. In support of this same vision, our project provides proof-of-concept for an outcome-based biodiversity metric for Field to Market to quantify biodiversity impacts of commercial row crop production on terrestrial vertebrate richness. Little research exists examining the impacts of alternative commercial agricultural practices on overall terrestrial biodiversity (McLaughlin & Mineau 1995). Instead, most studies compare organic versus conventional practices (e.g. Freemark & Kirk 2001; Wickramasinghe et al. 2004), and most studies focus on flora, avian, or invertebrate communities (Jeanneret et al. 2003a; Maes et al. 2008; Pollard & Relton 1970). Therefore, we used an expert-knowledge-based approach to develop a metric that predicts expected impacts to shelter and forage resources, individual species, and overall biodiversity (species richness). This approach is modeled after an ecosystems services concept (WRI 2005), except that we examine services (i.e., resources) provided to vertebrate wildlife rather than service provided to the human population. SEGAP predicts species that are potentially present in an area given landscape-scale habitat availability, configuration, and context (e.g., patch size, proximity to resources, connectivity, potential for disturbance). Based on the prediction of species that may be potentially present, the impacts of management decisions within fields and around their borders can be analyzed based on the impact of those practices to the availability of species’ resources. The final metric provides an index of a producer’s relative impact, but perhaps even more importantly, the underlying database allows producers to explore details such as which species are most impacted or how alternative decisions would impact their score. 

Generalised summation-by-parts operators and variable coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranocha, Hendrik

2018-06-01

High-order methods for conservation laws can be highly efficient if their stability is ensured. A suitable means mimicking estimates of the continuous level is provided by summation-by-parts (SBP) operators and the weak enforcement of boundary conditions. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in generalised SBP operators both in the finite difference and the discontinuous Galerkin spectral element framework. However, if generalised SBP operators are used, the treatment of the boundaries becomes more difficult since some properties of the continuous level are no longer mimicked discretely - interpolating the product of two functions will in general result in a value different from the product of the interpolations. Thus, desired properties such as conservation and stability are more difficult to obtain. Here, new formulations are proposed, allowing the creation of discretisations using general SBP operators that are both conservative and stable. Thus, several shortcomings that might be attributed to generalised SBP operators are overcome (cf. Nordström and Ruggiu (2017) [38] and Manzanero et al. (2017) [39]).

Nutrient delivery from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico and effects of cropland conservation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Excessive nutrients transported from the Mississippi River Basin have created an ecological disaster - Gulf of Mexico hypoxia. Also, in recent years, federal expenditures on agricultural conservation practices have received intense scrutiny. Partly driven by these factors, the USDA Conservation Ef...

Measuring farmer conservation behaviors: Challenges and best practices

Treesearch

Kristin Floress; Adam Reimer; Aaron Thompson; Mark Burbach; Cody Knutson; Linda Prokopy; Marc Ribaudo; Jessica Ulrich-Schad

2018-01-01

This article presents a guide for understanding the purposes and appropriate uses of different measures of conservation behavior. While applicable across natural resource management contexts, we primarily draw upon agricultural conservation research to illustrate our points. Farmers are often of interest to researchers, program managers, extension professionals, and...

Modeling conservation practices in APEX: From the field to the watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The evaluation of USDA conservation programs is required as part of the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model was applied to the St. Joseph River Watershed, one of CEAP’s benchmark watersheds. Using a previously calibrated and val...

Kortright Centre for Conservation: Forestry Theme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Allan

One of a series of four reports on specific conservation themes, this report on forestry is intended to consolidate techniques which will best communicate the legislation, role, objectives and practices of the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in retaining forest cover and extending it over additional areas. Facilities and…

Assessing the effects of USDA conservation programs on ecosystem services provided by wetlands

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) is led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in an effort to quantify the environmental effects of conservation programs and practices on privately owned agricultural landscapes across the United States. CEAP’s approach includes application ...

Energy Conservation in School Transportation Systems. Energy Conservation Guidelines 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giesguth, John, Ed.; Scheingold, Edward, Ed.

Fourth in a series of four publications on energy conservation, this booklet offers basic guidelines for sound fuel reduction in school transportation. The pamphlet suggests ways to implement energy-saving practices, guidelines for preventive maintenance of school vehicles, a definition of the drivers' and superintendents' roles, school policies…

Looking for attitudes related to amphibian species decline: how are peer-reviewed publications of education activities compared to ecological research?

PubMed

Mormul, Roger P; Mormul, Tayla D S; Santos, Gustavo M B; Santana, Ana R A

2017-05-01

Biodiversity decline has been the focus of discussions in the last decade, especially on the amphibian species decline. After a scientometric analysis using international databases, we found that the number of peer-reviewed articles considering education practices related to the theme increased along with the number of ecological researches. However, the increase in ecological researches is much higher than the increase in publications of education practices. Studies suggest that conservation attitudes are important and that education practices are an important tool for improving human perceptions on this subject. In this sense, increase the publication of projects and programs results related to local education practices in international journals could help the dissemination of efficient methods for conservation, as well as facilitating access to information internationally, since species decline, especially for amphibians, is a global concern. Then, we suggest that educational practices, at least when related to conservation, should follow a more standardized protocol, and be published in international journals, as the efficiency of such practices should be evaluated and methods once published could help other nations to improve their ecological literacy.

25 CFR 166.312 - Is a conservation plan required?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Is a conservation plan required? 166.312 Section 166.312... Operations Management Management Plans and Environmental Compliance § 166.312 Is a conservation plan required? A conservation plan must be developed for each permit with the permittee and approved by us prior to...

25 CFR 166.312 - Is a conservation plan required?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Is a conservation plan required? 166.312 Section 166.312... Operations Management Management Plans and Environmental Compliance § 166.312 Is a conservation plan required? A conservation plan must be developed for each permit with the permittee and approved by us prior to...

25 CFR 166.312 - Is a conservation plan required?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Is a conservation plan required? 166.312 Section 166.312... Operations Management Management Plans and Environmental Compliance § 166.312 Is a conservation plan required? A conservation plan must be developed for each permit with the permittee and approved by us prior to...

25 CFR 166.312 - Is a conservation plan required?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Is a conservation plan required? 166.312 Section 166.312... Operations Management Management Plans and Environmental Compliance § 166.312 Is a conservation plan required? A conservation plan must be developed for each permit with the permittee and approved by us prior to...

Conservation and adaptation to climate change.

PubMed

Brooke, Cassandra

2008-12-01

The need to adapt to climate change has become increasingly apparent, and many believe the practice of biodiversity conservation will need to alter to face this challenge. Conservation organizations are eager to determine how they should adapt their practices to climate change. This involves asking the fundamental question of what adaptation to climate change means. Most studies on climate change and conservation, if they consider adaptation at all, assume it is equivalent to the ability of species to adapt naturally to climate change as stated in Article 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Adaptation, however, can refer to an array of activities that range from natural adaptation, at one end of the spectrum, to sustainability science in coupled human and natural systems at the other. Most conservation organizations deal with complex systems in which adaptation to climate change involves making decisions on priorities for biodiversity conservation in the face of dynamic risks and involving the public in these decisions. Discursive methods such as analytic deliberation are useful for integrating scientific knowledge with public perceptions and values, particularly when large uncertainties and risks are involved. The use of scenarios in conservation planning is a useful way to build shared understanding at the science-policy interface. Similarly, boundary organizations-organizations or institutions that bridge different scales or mediate the relationship between science and policy-could prove useful for managing the transdisciplinary nature of adaptation to climate change, providing communication and brokerage services and helping to build adaptive capacity. The fact that some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are active across the areas of science, policy, and practice makes them well placed to fulfill this role in integrated assessments of biodiversity conservation and adaptation to climate change.

Climate-smart conservation: putting adaption principles into practice

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stein, Bruce A.; Glick, Patty; Edelson, Naomi; Staudt, Amanda

2014-01-01

Climate change already is having significant impacts on the nation’s species and ecosystems, and these effects are projected to increase considerably over time. As a result, climate change is now a primary lens through which conservation and natural resource management must be viewed. How should we prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change on wildlife and their habitats? What should we be doing differently in light of these climatic shifts, and what actions continue to make sense? Climate-Smart Conservation: Putting Adaptation Principles into Practice offers guidance for designing and carrying out conservation in the face of a rapidly changing climate. Addressing the growing threats brought about or accentuated by rapid climate change requires a fundamental shift in the practice of natural resource management and conservation. Traditionally, conservationists have focused their efforts on protecting and managing systems to maintain their current state, or to restore degraded systems back to a historical state regarded as more desirable. Conservation planners and practitioners will need to adopt forward-looking goals and implement strategies specifically designed to prepare for and adjust to current and future climatic changes, and the associated impacts on natural systems and human communities—an emerging discipline known as climate change adaptation. The field of climate change adaptation is still in its infancy. Although there is increasing attention focused on the subject, much of the guidance developed to date has been general in nature, concentrating on high-level principles rather than specific actions. It is against this backdrop that this guide was prepared as a means for helping put adaptation principles into practice, and for moving adaptation from planning to action.

7 CFR 1415.12 - Modifications to easements and rental contracts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... modifications for restoration agreements and grazing management plans, or conservation plans where applicable... conservation plans, grazing management plans, and restoration plans, to facilitate the practical administration...

7 CFR 1469.5 - Eligibility requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM General...) Land must meet the definition of eligible land; and (3) The application must meet the conservation...-up. Producers who are participants in an existing conservation stewardship contract are not eligible...

7 CFR 1469.5 - Eligibility requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM General...) Land must meet the definition of eligible land; and (3) The application must meet the conservation...-up. Producers who are participants in an existing conservation stewardship contract are not eligible...

7 CFR 1469.5 - Eligibility requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM General...) Land must meet the definition of eligible land; and (3) The application must meet the conservation...-up. Producers who are participants in an existing conservation stewardship contract are not eligible...

7 CFR 1470.22 - Conservation stewardship plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Contracts... process as outlined in the National Planning Procedures Handbook to encourage participants to address... the participant's decisions that describes the schedule of conservation activities to be implemented...

Estimating soil erosion risk and evaluating erosion control measures for soil conservation planning at Koga watershed in the highlands of Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molla, Tegegne; Sisheber, Biniam

2017-01-01

Soil erosion is one of the major factors affecting sustainability of agricultural production in Ethiopia. The objective of this paper is to estimate soil erosion using the universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model and to evaluate soil conservation practices in a data-scarce watershed region. For this purpose, soil data, rainfall, erosion control practices, satellite images and topographic maps were collected to determine the RUSLE factors. In addition, measurements of randomly selected soil and water conservation structures were done at three sub-watersheds (Asanat, Debreyakob and Rim). This study was conducted in Koga watershed at upper part of the Blue Nile basin which is affected by high soil erosion rates. The area is characterized by undulating topography caused by intensive agricultural practices with poor soil conservation practices. The soil loss rates were determined and conservation strategies have been evaluated under different slope classes and land uses. The results showed that the watershed is affected by high soil erosion rates (on average 42 t ha-1 yr-1), greater than the maximum tolerable soil loss (18 t ha-1 yr-1). The highest soil loss (456 t ha-1 yr-1) estimated from the upper watershed occurred on cultivated lands of steep slopes. As a result, soil erosion is mainly aggravated by land-use conflicts and topographic factors and the rugged topographic land forms of the area. The study also demonstrated that the contribution of existing soil conservation structures to erosion control is very small due to incorrect design and poor management. About 35 % out of the existing structures can reduce soil loss significantly since they were constructed correctly. Most of the existing structures were demolished due to the sediment overload, vulnerability to livestock damage and intense rainfall. Therefore, appropriate and standardized soil and water conservation measures for different erosion-prone land uses and land forms need to be implemented in Koga watershed.

76 FR 9590 - Fisheries and Habitat Conservation and Migratory Birds Programs; Draft Land-Based Wind Energy...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-18

..., wildlife and their habitats resulting from construction, operation and maintenance of land-based, wind... these draft Guidelines for all wind turbines, including community scale operations. All comments we...] RIN 1018-AX45 Fisheries and Habitat Conservation and Migratory Birds Programs; Draft Land-Based Wind...

18 CFR 284.12 - Standards for pipeline business operations and communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Standards for pipeline business operations and communications. 284.12 Section 284.12 Conservation of Power and Water Resources... access requirement; (B) Users must be able to search an entire document online for selected words, and...

Nonpoint Source: National Water Quality Initiative

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) is a collaborative between EPA and Natural Resource Conservation Service ( NRCS) that began in 2012. NWQI provides a means to accelerate voluntary, private lands conservation practices

Energy and other resource conservation within urbanizing areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowe, Peter G.

1982-05-01

The reported research seeks to answer several questions regarding energy conservation within urbanizing areas. As a practical matter, to what extent can dependence upon exhaustible resources be reduced? Can these reductions be achieved without severely impairing social well-being and environmental quality? And, what seem to be the prevailing institutional constraints limiting energy conservation within urbanizing areas? The study area was the proposed “downtown” of The Woodlands, a new town north of Houston, Texas. Two plans were developed for this area. In one, no particular attempt was made to conserve energy (conventional plan), while in the other, energy conservation was a primary consideration (conservation plan). For both plans, estimates were made of energy consumption within buildings, in the transportation sector, and in the actual production of building materials themselves (embodied energy). In addition, economic and environmental analyses were performed, including investigation of other resource issues such as water supply, solid waste disposal, stormwater management, and atmospheric emissions. Alternative on-site power systems were also investigated. Within the bounds of economic feasibility and development practicality, it was found that application of energy-conserving methods could yield annual energy savings of as much as 23%, and reduce dependence on prime fuels by 30%. Adverse economic effects on consumers were found to be minimal and environmental quality could be sustained. The major institutional constraints appeared to be those associated with traditional property ownership and with the use of common property resources. The resistance to change of everyday practices in land development and building industries also seemed to constrain potential applications.

Coupling of conservative and dissipative forces in frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sader, John E.; Jarvis, Suzanne P.

2006-11-01

Frequency modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM) utilizes the principle of self-excitation to ensure the cantilever probe vibrates at its resonant frequency, regardless of the tip-sample interaction. Practically, this is achieved by fixing the phase difference between tip deflection and driving force at precisely 90° . This, in turn, decouples the frequency shift and excitation amplitude signals, enabling quantitative interpretation in terms of conservative and dissipative tip-sample interaction forces. In this article, we theoretically investigate the effect of phase detuning in the self-excitation mechanism on the coupling between conservative and dissipative forces in FM-AFM. We find that this coupling depends only on the relative difference in the drive and resonant frequencies far from the surface, and is thus very weakly dependent on the actual phase error particularly for high quality factors. This establishes that FM-AFM is highly robust with respect to phase detuning, and enables quantitative interpretation of the measured frequency shift and excitation amplitude, even while operating away from the resonant frequency with the use of appropriate replacements in the existing formalism. We also examine the calibration of phase shifts in FM-AFM measurements and demonstrate that the commonly used approach of minimizing the excitation amplitude can lead to significant phase detuning, particularly in liquid environments.

Influence of Agricultural Operations on Dust Emission During the 1930a Dust Bowl, Baca County, CO, USA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodges, A. T.; Bolles, K.; Forman, S. L.

2017-12-01

The drought that struck the U.S. Great Plains during the 1930s was one of the most intensedroughts in the region in the last millennium, spurring a major environmental and public healthcrisis. A prominent explanation for the cause of the "dust bowl" centers on the expansion ofagriculture and poor land management practices leading to widespread soil erosion. Thisprevalent hypothesis largely excludes the impacts of naturally occurring land surface processesthat contribute to eolian erosion and dust emissivity, particularly during periods of drought. Priorwork generally focuses on economic and sociological factors in agricultural decision-making forindividual fields or farms.This study utilizes early aerial photography collected by the Soil Conservation Service in 1936 ofBaca County, Colorado, to identify and quantify spatial relationships between geomorphicprocesses and anthropogenic activities impacting dust emission. From the holdings at theNational Archives, 25 photos covering 125 km2 scanned at 1200dpi are combined into acontinuous mosaic, and geo-referenced at RMSE 78.6 m2 . Detailed land cover analyses areundertaken in ArcGIS to classify uncultivated and cultivated surfaces; cultivated surfaces arefurther divided by surface agricultural operations in relation to erosion and dust emission (e.g.listing, contour furrows, terraces, circuitous plowing, listing, eolian transport, and fallow fieldswith and without vegetation). The classified surface is overlaid with National ResourceConservation Service surveys and Soil Conservation Service reconnaissance surveys of land useand erosion carried out in 1936 to infer to potential emissivity of a given cultivated surface. Inthis way, it becomes possible to evaluate human influence on dust emission in one of theworst-struck counties of the Dust Bowl and potentially identify other causative factors to thissignificant period in American history.

An Immersed Boundary method with divergence-free velocity interpolation and force spreading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Yuanxun; Donev, Aleksandar; Griffith, Boyce E.; McQueen, David M.; Peskin, Charles S.

2017-10-01

The Immersed Boundary (IB) method is a mathematical framework for constructing robust numerical methods to study fluid-structure interaction in problems involving an elastic structure immersed in a viscous fluid. The IB formulation uses an Eulerian representation of the fluid and a Lagrangian representation of the structure. The Lagrangian and Eulerian frames are coupled by integral transforms with delta function kernels. The discretized IB equations use approximations to these transforms with regularized delta function kernels to interpolate the fluid velocity to the structure, and to spread structural forces to the fluid. It is well-known that the conventional IB method can suffer from poor volume conservation since the interpolated Lagrangian velocity field is not generally divergence-free, and so this can cause spurious volume changes. In practice, the lack of volume conservation is especially pronounced for cases where there are large pressure differences across thin structural boundaries. The aim of this paper is to greatly reduce the volume error of the IB method by introducing velocity-interpolation and force-spreading schemes with the properties that the interpolated velocity field in which the structure moves is at least C1 and satisfies a continuous divergence-free condition, and that the force-spreading operator is the adjoint of the velocity-interpolation operator. We confirm through numerical experiments in two and three spatial dimensions that this new IB method is able to achieve substantial improvement in volume conservation compared to other existing IB methods, at the expense of a modest increase in the computational cost. Further, the new method provides smoother Lagrangian forces (tractions) than traditional IB methods. The method presented here is restricted to periodic computational domains. Its generalization to non-periodic domains is important future work.

Synthetic biology and conservation of nature: wicked problems and wicked solutions.

PubMed

Redford, Kent H; Adams, William; Mace, Georgina M

2013-01-01

So far, conservation scientists have paid little attention to synthetic biology; this is unfortunate as the technology is likely to transform the operating space within which conservation functions, and therefore the prospects for maintaining biodiversity into the future.

7 CFR 1469.23 - Program payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM Contracts and Payments § 1469.23 Program payments. (a) Stewardship component of CSP payments. (1) The conservation stewardship plan... Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) land rental data, and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rental rates...

City of Portland: Businesses for an environmentally sustainable tomorrow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-12-01

The sustainable business development program in Portland (OR) is known as BEST. BEST stands for Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow. The Portland Energy Office operates BEST as a {open_quotes}one-stop service center{close_quotes} for business owners and managers. BEST provides information and assistance on resource efficient buildings and business practices. The results of BEST`s two years of operation have been generally impressive. Nearly 150 new or expanding businesses have been connected with utility design assistance programs. Businesses have also received assistance with water conservation, telecommuting, construction debris recycling, and alternative fuel vehicles. BEST has received local and national publicity and BESTmore » services have been the topic at more than a dozen conferences, meetings, or other speaking engagements. A guidebook for communities wishing to start a similar program will be available in early 1996.« less

7 CFR 701.112 - Eligible ECP practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... before the natural disaster. No relief under this subpart shall be allowed to address conservation problems existing before the disaster. (b) The practice or practices made available when the ECP is...

7 CFR 701.112 - Eligible ECP practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... before the natural disaster. No relief under this subpart shall be allowed to address conservation problems existing before the disaster. (b) The practice or practices made available when the ECP is...

7 CFR 701.112 - Eligible ECP practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... before the natural disaster. No relief under this subpart shall be allowed to address conservation problems existing before the disaster. (b) The practice or practices made available when the ECP is...

Value of gastrografin in adhesive small bowel obstruction after unsuccessful conservative treatment: a prospective evaluation.

PubMed

Choi, Hok-Kwok; Law, Wai-Lun; Ho, Judy-Wai-Chu; Chu, Kin-Wah

2005-06-28

Gastrografin is a hyperosmolar water-soluble contrast medium. Besides its predictive value for the need for operative treatment, a potential therapeutic role of this agent in adhesive small bowel obstruction has been suggested. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of gastrografin in adhesive small bowel obstruction when conservative treatment failed. Patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction were given trial conservative treatment unless there was fear of bowel strangulation. Those responded in the initial 48 h had conservative treatment continued. Patients who showed no improvement in the initial 48 h were given 100 mL of gastrografin through nasogastric tube followed by serial abdominal radiographs. Patients with the contrast appeared in large bowel within 24 h were regarded as having partial obstruction and conservative treatment was continued. Patients in which the contrast failed to reach large bowel within 24 h were considered to have complete obstruction and laparotomy was performed. Two hundred and twelve patients with 245 episodes of adhesive obstruction were included. Fifteen patients were operated on soon after admission due to fear of strangulation. One hundred and eighty-six episodes of obstruction showed improvement in the initial 48 h and conservative treatment was continued. Two patients had subsequent operations because of persistent obstruction. Forty-four episodes of obstruction showed no improvement within 48 h and gastrografin was administered. Seven patients underwent complete obstruction surgery. Partial obstruction was demonstrated in 37 other cases, obstruction resolved subsequently in all of them except one patient who required laparotomy because of persistent obstruction. The overall operative rate in this study was 10%. There was no complication that could be attributed to the use of gastrografin. The use of gastrografin in adhesive small bowel obstruction after unsuccessful conservative treatment is safe and reduces the need for surgical intervention.

7 CFR 1468.20 - Application for CFO program participation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... program payments allowed, offering to apply more conservation practices to the land in order to increase... benefits; (4) Soil productivity; (5) Conservation compliance considerations; (6) Likelihood to remain in...

Subsurface Manure Application for Conservation Tillage and Pasture Soils and Their Impact on the Nitrogen Balance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Incorporating manures into soil with conventional tillage is an effective means to reduce ammonia volatilization and conserve manure nitrogen. However, it is not possible in pasture and is not readily compatible with high-residue soil conservation practices for rowcrops. A variety of manure injecto...