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Amini Parsa, V.; Salehi, E.; Yavari, A.R.; Bodegom, P.M. van 2019

An improved method for assessing mismatches between supply and demand in urban regulating ecosystem services: A case study in Tabriz, Iran

Article / Letter to editor

open access

Regulating ecosystem services provided by urban forests are of great importance for the quality of life among city dwellers. To reach a maximum contribution to well-being in cities, the urban... Show moreRegulating ecosystem services provided by urban forests are of great importance for the quality of life among city dwellers. To reach a maximum contribution to well-being in cities, the urban regulating ecosystem services (URES) must match with the demands in terms of space and time. If we understand the matches or mismatches between the current urban dwellers' desired quality conditions (demand) and the supply of URES by urban forests (UF) in the cities, this will facilitate integrating the concepts of ecosystem services in urban planning and management, but such an assessment has suffered from major knowledge limitations. Since it is complex and problematic to identify the direct demands for URES and the spatiotemporal patterns therein, improving the demand indicators can help to determine the actual requirements. In this paper, a methodological approach based on indicators is presented and demonstrated for two important URES: air quality improvement and global climate change mitigation provided by urban trees and shrubs. Four air quality standards and greenhouse gas reduction targets were used and compared to supplies of the URES in Tabriz, Iran. Our results show that the mean contribution of the URES supply to air quality standards and greenhouse gas reduction targets is modest. Hence, in Tabriz, there is a strong mismatch between demand and supply. Mismatches at the city scale will have to be reduced by both a reduction in pollutant emissions and an increased provisioning of URES supply through urban greenery. The presented assessment approach and the results for Tabriz make it explicit how different the demands and supplies of the two studied URES are, and we expect similar mismatches in many other cities. Therefore, our approach, relatively simple but still realistic and easy-to-apply, can raise awareness about, and the utility of, the ecosystem services concepts for urban planning and policymaking. Show less

Kattge, J.; Bönisch, G.; Díaz, S.; Lavorel, S.; Prentice, I.C.; Leadley, P.; ... ; Soudzilovskaia, N.A. 2019

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Article / Letter to editor

open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels,... Show morePlant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives. Show less

Weert, J. de; Buijs, S.; Tamis, W.L.M.; Zelfde, M. van 't 2019

Landelijk Meetnet Gewasbeschermingsmiddelen Land- en Tuinbouw, Evaluatie resultaten 2018

External research report

open access

Bakker, J.P.; Schrama, M.J.J.; Esselink, P.; Daniels, P.; Bhola, N.; Nolte, S.; ... ; Stock, M. 2019

Long-term effects of sheep grazing in various densities on marsh properties and vegetation dynamics in two different salt-marsh zones

Article / Letter to editor

open access

For conservation management of grassland ecosystems, an important question is under which conditions large grazers induce compositional and structural variation in plant communities, which is a... Show moreFor conservation management of grassland ecosystems, an important question is under which conditions large grazers induce compositional and structural variation in plant communities, which is a prerequisite for high biodiversity. Here we used two long-term projects on the mainland salt marshes of the Wadden Sea to test the hypothesis that long-term grazing management with different stocking densities results in plant communities with distinctively different plant species composition and vegetation structure. The two projects took place on a low clayey and a high sandy salt marsh with different stocking densities of sheep: 0, 1.5, 3.5, 4.5 and the initially 10 sheep ha(-1), where measurements were collected 11, 15, 19 and 23 years after the start of the project. Moreover, grazers affect abiotic conditions by reducing soil-redox potential and surface elevation, thereby driving composition and structure of salt-marsh vegetation. On the low salt marsh, a continued high stocking density (10 sheep ha(-1)) resulted in succession from the early-successional Puccinellia maritima community to the late-successional Atriplex portulacoides community. On the high salt marsh, the early-successional Festuca rubra community was maintained under all stocking densities. Cessation of grazing resulted in succession to the Elytrigia atherica community in both salt-marsh types. Intermediate stocking densities (1.5, 3 or 4.5 sheep ha(-1)) resulted in a mosaic of tall vegetation and patches of lawn, i.e. short-grazed vegetation, where Puccinellia maritima lawn occurred interspersed with patches of the Festuca rubra and tall Elytrigia atherica communities in both salt-marsh types. Effects of grazers were influenced by the presence of watering points near the sea wall. To conclude, our results show how joint interactions between grazers and abiotic conditions drive vegetation diversity and heterogeneity, with implications for ecosystem functions and services such as wildlife biodiversity and coastal protection. Show less

Blanco Rocha, C.F.; Cucurachi, S.; Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M.; Beames, A.; Vijver, M.G. 2019

Are Technological Developments Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Photovoltaic Electricity?

Article / Letter to editor

open access

Innovation in photovoltaics (PV) is mostly driven by the cost per kilowatt ratio, making it easy to overlook environmental impacts of technological enhancements during early research and... Show moreInnovation in photovoltaics (PV) is mostly driven by the cost per kilowatt ratio, making it easy to overlook environmental impacts of technological enhancements during early research and development stages. As PV technology developers introduce novel materials and manufacturing methods, the well‐studied environmental profile of conventional silicon‐based PV may change considerably. Herein, existing trends and hotspots across different types of emerging PV technologies are investigated through a systematic review and meta‐analysis of life‐cycle assessments (LCAs). To incorporate as many data points as possible, a comprehensive harmonization procedure is applied, producing over 600 impact data points for organic, perovskite (PK), dye‐sensitized, tandem, silicon, and other thin‐film cells. How the panel and balance of system components affect environmental footprints in comparable installations is also investigated and discussed. Despite the large uncertainties and variabilities in the underlying LCA data and models, the harmonized results show clear positive trends across the sector. Seven potential hotspots are identified for specific PV technologies and impact categories. The analysis offers a high‐level guidance for technology developers to avoid introducing undesired environmental trade‐offs as they advance to make PV more competitive in the energy markets. Show less

Brix, K.V.; DeForest, D.K.; Tear, L.; Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M.; Peters, A.; Middleton, E.T.; Erickson, R. 2019

Development of Empirical Bioavailability Models for Metals

Article / Letter to editor

metadata only

Schaffitzel, F.; Jakob, M.; Soria, R.; Vogt-Schilb, A.; Ward, H. 2019

Can government transfers make energy subsidy reform socially acceptable? A case study on Ecuador

Article / Letter to editor

open access

Energy subsidies cost Ecuador 7% of its public budget, or two thirds of the fiscal deficit. Removing these subsidies would yield local economic and environmental benefits and help implement climate... Show moreEnergy subsidies cost Ecuador 7% of its public budget, or two thirds of the fiscal deficit. Removing these subsidies would yield local economic and environmental benefits and help implement climate targets set in the Paris Agreement. However, adverse effects on vulnerable households can make subsidy reforms politically difficult. To inform policy design, we assess the distributional impacts of energy subsidy reform using Ecuadorian household data and an augmented input-output table. We find that subsidy removal without compensation would be regressive for diesel and LPG, progressive for gasoline, and approximately neutral for electricity. We then analyze how freed up public revenues could fund in-kind and in-cash compensation schemes to mitigate income losses for poor households. Our results indicate that removing all energy subsidies and increasing the cash transfer program, Bono de Desarrollo Humano (BDH), by nearly US$ 50 per month would increase the real income of the poorest quintile by 10% while leaving more than US$ 1.3 billion for the public budget. Finally, we conduct interviews with local policy makers and experts to identify two reform options that are progressive and considered feasible: eliminating subsidies on gasoline while increasing the BDH and replacing universal LPG subsidies with targeted LPG vouchers. Show less

Shiklomanov, A.N.; Cowdery, E.M.; Bahn, M.; Byun, C.; Jansen, S.; Kramer, K.; ... ; Dietze, M.C. 2019

Does the leaf economic spectrum hold within plant functional types? A Bayesian multivariate trait meta-analysis

Article / Letter to editor

open access

The leaf economic spectrum is a widely studied axis of plant trait variability that defines a trade-off between leaf longevity and productivity. While this has been investigated at the global scale... Show moreThe leaf economic spectrum is a widely studied axis of plant trait variability that defines a trade-off between leaf longevity and productivity. While this has been investigated at the global scale, where it is robust, and at local scales, where deviations from it are common, it has received less attention at the intermediate scale of plant functional types (PFTs). We investigated whether global leaf economic relationships are also present within the scale of plant functional types (PFTs) commonly used by Earth System models, and the extent to which this global-PFT hierarchy can be used to constrain trait estimates. We developed a hierarchical multivariate Bayesian model that assumes separate means and covariance structures within and across PFTs and fit this model to seven leaf traits from the TRY database related to leaf longevity, morphology, biochemistry, and photosynthetic metabolism. Although patterns of trait covariation were generally consistent with the leaf economic spectrum, we found three approximate tiers to this consistency. Relationships among morphological and biochemical traits (specific leaf area [SLA], N, P) were the most robust within and across PFTs, suggesting that covariation in these traits is driven by universal leaf construction trade-offs and stoichiometry. Relationships among metabolic traits (dark respiration [R-d], maximum RuBisCo carboxylation rate [V-c,V-max], maximum electron transport rate [J(max)]) were slightly less consistent, reflecting in part their much sparser sampling (especially for high-latitude PFTs), but also pointing to more flexible plasticity in plant metabolistm. Finally, relationships involving leaf lifespan were the least consistent, indicating that leaf economic relationships related to leaf lifespan are dominated by across-PFT differences and that within-PFT variation in leaf lifespan is more complex and idiosyncratic. Across all traits, this covariance was an important source of information, as evidenced by the improved imputation accuracy and reduced predictive uncertainty in multivariate models compared to univariate models. Ultimately, our study reaffirms the value of studying not just individual traits but the multivariate trait space and the utility of hierarchical modeling for studying the scale dependence of trait relationships. Show less

Horton, A.A. 2019

Towards a greater understanding of the presence, fate and ecological effects of microplastics in the freshwater environment

Doctoral Thesis

open access

This thesis combines field and laboratory studies to address some of the most pressing questions in the field of microplastic research. Specifically, the thesis addresses the topic of microplastics... Show moreThis thesis combines field and laboratory studies to address some of the most pressing questions in the field of microplastic research. Specifically, the thesis addresses the topic of microplastics in the freshwater environment. The research presented covers both the environmental presence and abundance of microplastics, in addition to ecological effects, investigated using observational and experimental studies. These studies give a greater understanding of the abundance, types and sources of microplastics in freshwater systems in the UK, how organisms and chemicals interact with microplastics and the potential ecological effects on a range of freshwater organisms from different functional feeding groups and trophic levels. Show less

Swierts, T. 2019

Diversity in the globally intertwined giant barrel sponge species complex

Doctoral Thesis

open access

This thesis describes the genetic and prokaryotic diversity of giant barrel sponges. Although it was originally believed that the giant barrel sponges in the AtlanticOcean and the Indo-Pacific... Show moreThis thesis describes the genetic and prokaryotic diversity of giant barrel sponges. Although it was originally believed that the giant barrel sponges in the AtlanticOcean and the Indo-Pacific Ocean were two different species, our analyses showed thatthere are several species in both ocean basins. Even more remarkable, is that each species is most closely related to a species in the other ocean basin. According to our analysis, there are threegiant barrel sponge species in the Atlantic Ocean, and, at least, six in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Sponges house a large and diverse community of microorganisms. It is generally believed thatthese microorganisms play a central role in the physiological processes in the host. It appears that the region in which a giant barrel sponge occursmainly determines the composition of their microbial community. However, if you lookat a smaller scale within a region, for example within one reef or around an island suchas Curaçao, it appears that not only is the geographical location important, but the hostspecies to which an individual belongs also plays an important role. Show less

Liu, S.; Liu, Y.; Pan, B.; He, Y.; Li, B.; Zhou, D.; ... ; Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M. 2019

The promoted dissolution of copper oxide nanoparticles by dissolved humic acid: copper complexation over particle dispersion

Article / Letter to editor

open access

Jiang, M.; Behrens, P.A.; Wang, T.; Tang, Z.; Yu, Y.; Chen, D.; ... ; Zhu, B. 2019

Provincial and sector-level material footprints in China

Article / Letter to editor

open access

China has undergone unprecedented increases in material development and by 2010 drove 30% of the global material footprint (MF). Understanding China’s MF distribution and development is critical... Show moreChina has undergone unprecedented increases in material development and by 2010 drove 30% of the global material footprint (MF). Understanding China’s MF distribution and development is critical for resource efficiency and circular economy ambitions globally. We combine a provincial input–output table (IOT), province-specific import–export statistics, a global IOT, and detailed extraction data to assess sector-specific and province-specific MFs in China. Capital investment—crucial to China’s development—is up to 4 times more resource-intensive than consumption and comprises 49 to 86% of provincial MF. We find large differences in MF per capita across provinces, even among those with similar development characteristics. Findings indicate the need for improved understanding of material developments in other emerging countries in the 21st century. Show less

Schild, J.E.M. 2019

The monetary valuation of water-related ecosystem services

Doctoral Thesis

open access

While ecosystems have concrete benefits for human society, these benefits are typically overlooked in decision-making. This is problematic because ecosystems – and thus the benefits that... Show moreWhile ecosystems have concrete benefits for human society, these benefits are typically overlooked in decision-making. This is problematic because ecosystems – and thus the benefits that ecosystems provide – are under increasing pressure from human actions. The ecosystem services concept aims to better reflect the benefits of ecosystems for human wellbeing. As a tool to quantify ecosystem services, their value is often estimated in monetary terms. This thesis investigates whether this approach is valid in ecological terms: do monetary value estimates adequately reflect the ecological status of the ecosystem? Two sets of water-related services in two different types of regions have been investigated: water quantity-related services in global drylands (chapters 2 and 3) and water quality-related services in the Scheldt river basin (chapters 4 and 5). The results show that the selected methodological approach has a dominant impact on value estimates for water-related services, while the ecological status of the ecosystem is of minor importance. This finding casts doubts upon the validity of monetary valuation as a means to take the ecological status of ecosystems into account in public decision-making. Future research should explore how the ecosystem’s ecological status can be better integrated in the valuation of ecosystem services. Show less

Vijver, M.G. 2019

Snel nieuwe plek voor Levend Lab

Event

open access

Steubing, B.R.P.; Koning, D.G. de; Haas, A.; Mutel, C.L. 2019

The Activity Browser — An open source LCA software building on top of the brightway framework

Article / Letter to editor

open access

The Activity Browser is an open source software for advanced Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The Activity Browser provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to the brightway LCA framework and makes common tasks such as managing projects and databases, modeling life cycle inventories, and analyzing LCA results easier and more intuitive. In addition, it provides advanced features for LCA modeling and data analyses and thus facilitates state-of-the-art LCA research. It can be extended to implement novel LCA modeling approaches and analyses as needed.

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Prado, V.; Cinelli, M.; Haar, S.F. ter; Ravikumar, D.; Heijungs, R.; Guinée, J.B.; Seager, T.P. 2019

Sensitivity to weighting in life cycle impact assessment (LCIA)

Article / Letter to editor

open access

Pijlman, J.; Berger, S.J.; Lexmond, F.; Bloem, J.; Groenigen, J.W. van; Visser, E.J.W.; ... ; Eekeren, N. 2019

Can the presence of plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) improve nitrogen cycling of dairy grassland systems on peat soils?

Article / Letter to editor

open access

Reactive nitrogen (N) losses, and in particular nitrous oxide losses, from dairy grasslands on peat soils are generally high as a result of relative high soil organic matter contents, potential N... Show moreReactive nitrogen (N) losses, and in particular nitrous oxide losses, from dairy grasslands on peat soils are generally high as a result of relative high soil organic matter contents, potential N mineralisation rates and shallow groundwater levels. Effects of the inclusion of the temperate forage species plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) (PL), which produces secondary compounds with biological nitrification inhibition capacity, on the fate of soil mineral N were studied in a combined mesocosm and field experiment. The experiments comprised four treatments differing in intentional herbage share of plantain versus perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (100%PL, 66%PL, 33%PL and 0%PL). Potential nitrification in the mesocosm experiment was significantly lower at 100%PL versus 0%PL (p = 0.018), but soil nitrate concentrations were not. Nitrous oxide fluxes reduced by 39% (p = 0.021) in the presence of plantain in the field experiment, without an obvious link to the quantity of plantain. N use efficiency of plantain tended to increase with the quantity of plantain in the sward in the mesocosm experiment (p = 0.098), but not in the field experiment. Our results suggest that the presence of plantain can affect the fate of soil mineral N of dairy grasslands on peat soils. Show less

Lesilau, F.L. 2019

Human-Lion conflict around Nairobi National Park: Lion (Panthera leo melanochaita, Hamilton Smith, 1842) Population Structure, Landscape Use and Diet, in a Semi-Fenced Park

Doctoral Thesis

open access

Large carnivore population is globally declining as a result of the fragmentation of habitat, large prey depletion and retaliatory killing by pastoralists. Despite Kenya declaring approximately 8... Show moreLarge carnivore population is globally declining as a result of the fragmentation of habitat, large prey depletion and retaliatory killing by pastoralists. Despite Kenya declaring approximately 8 percent of the land as wildlife protected areas, there are less than 2000 lions left in the wild. This trend is worrying and Kenya Wildlife Service developed conserve and manage large carnivores’ strategy. This justify the reason for Nairobi Lion Research Project. Understanding the factors influencing human–lion conflicts would reduce retaliatory killing of lions and improve conservation of lions. Therefore, the aim of this study is to ensure conservation of lions in NNP and in the surrounding areas, specifically in relation to human–lion conflicts. It focuses on population size and pride structure, home ranges and movements, prey choice and diets and examine socio-economic aspects of lion–livestock conflicts and application of LED flashlights. I found that Nairobi National Park has high lion’s density per100 km2, small home range and avoid the urban fringe of Nairobi City. They supplement diet with very small prey (<5 kg). Partial fencing of parks is not a solution to human-lion conflicts and LED flashlight technology is effective in reducing nocturnal livestock depredation at bomas by lions. Show less

Li, L.; Luo, Y.; Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M.; Li, R.; Yang, J.; Zhou, Q. 2019

Confocal measurement of microplastics uptake by plants

Article / Letter to editor

open access

Microplastics (MPs, plastics 100 nm–5 mm in diameter) are estimated to accumulate in agricultural soils in quantities that exceed the total MP burden in ocean waters. Despite a wealth of... Show moreMicroplastics (MPs, plastics 100 nm–5 mm in diameter) are estimated to accumulate in agricultural soils in quantities that exceed the total MP burden in ocean waters. Despite a wealth of information relating to the accumulation of MPs in aquatic species, there is little information on the uptake of MPs by terrestrial plants. Information about location of MPs in plant tissues is critical to understand the modes of their interaction with plants. Polystyrene (PS) is one of the most commonly used plastic polymers worldwide and it is often found in MPs sampled in the environment. The performance of traditional detection methods (i.e., transmission electron microscopy, TEM and scanning electron microscopy, SEM) for nanoparticles is limited due to the extensive sample preparation and the limited field of view. Here we report an approach for the imaging of different sizes of PS plastic beads (ranging from submicrometer to micrometer-sized) within plant tissues by using confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). Fluorescent dye Nile blue or 4-chloro-7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole were encapsulated into the PS microbeads through swelling method and they were used to detect the localization of PS beads in the root and the green tissue respectively.• This is a simple andrapid approach for imaging of MPs in plant.• The fluorescent dyes can produce bright and stable emission signals that are distinguishable from the autofluorescence background of plant tissues.• The dyes leakage in the aqueous phase can be assumed to be negligible. Show less

Wang J., Dias Rodrigues J.F., Hu M.M., Behrens P.A., Tukker A. 2019

The evolution of Chinese industrial CO2 emissions 2000-2050: A review and meta-analysis of historical drivers, projections and policy goals

Article / Letter to editor

open access

The emissions of the Chinese industrial sector alone comprise 24.1% of global emissions (7.8 GtCyr 1 in 2015). This makes Chinese industrial emissions of unique national and international relevance... Show moreThe emissions of the Chinese industrial sector alone comprise 24.1% of global emissions (7.8 GtCyr 1 in 2015). This makes Chinese industrial emissions of unique national and international relevance in climate policy. This study reports a literature survey that quantitatively describes the evolution of these emissions from 2000 to 2050 in the context of policy goals. The survey reveals that: (1) The major historical factor contributing to the decrease in industrial CO2 emissions has been the reduction in energy intensities. However, that decrease has been more than compensated for by increases in industrial activity. (2) An ensemble of projections shows that China's industrial emissions will likely peak in 2030, in alignment with China's commitment to the Paris Agreement. The timing of the peak varies across industrial sub-sectors, with ferrous metals and non-metallic products sectors peaking first, and the electricity sector later. (3) The assumptions underlying optimistic scenarios broadly match the drivers of recent decreases in historical emissions (energy intensity, industrial structure and energy mix). Furthermore, these factors feature prominently in China's policy portfolio to both develop and decarbonize the Chinese industrial sector. The industrial carbon intensity targets of 2020 and 2025 are close to the median predictions in the medium scenarios from studies. Show less

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