Consequence Of Agricultural Activities Research Articles

Wolfgang Taute’s Excavation at the Open-Air Site Feuersteinacker and the Early Mesolithic in the Western Part of Central Germany

ABSTRACT Surveys near the village of Stumpertenrod revealed one of the largest Mesolithic assemblages in Germany. As a consequence of agricultural activities, the archaeological layers were partly eroded and the lithic artifact consisted mainly of surface finds. Between 1964 and 1966 Wolfgang Taute – a key-figure for the study of the Mesolithic in Europe – opened a trial-trench. Due to a lack of organic material, the campaign did not lead to the expected outcome and the site slowly fell into oblivion. The following article presents the results of typo-technological analyses of the lithic assemblage discovered in the course of the excavation. It provides new insights into the subsistence strategies of people during the early Holocene and re-integrates this significant site in current frameworks and debates. Furthermore, an interregional comparison of archaeological features and topographic parameters involving modern theoretical and methodological approaches, leads to a better understanding of the Early Mesolithic in the western part of Central Germany.

Trees outside forests are an underestimated resource\xa0in a\xa0country\xa0with low forest cover

Trees outside forests (TOF) are an underrepresented resource in forest poor nations. As a result of their frequent omission from national forest resource assessments and a lack of readily available very-high-resolution remotely sensed imagery, TOF status and characterization has until now, been unknown. Here, we assess the capacity of openly available 10 m ESA Sentinel constellation satellite imagery for mapping TOF extent at the national level in Bangladesh. In addition, we estimate canopy height for TOF using a TanDEM-X DEM. We map 2,233,578 ha of TOF in Bangladesh with a mean canopy height of 7.3 m. We map 31 and 53% more TOF than existing estimates of TOF and forest, respectively. We find TOF in Bangladesh is nationally fragmented as a consequence of agricultural activity, yet is capable of maintaining connectedness between remaining stands. Now, TOF accounting is feasible at the national scale using readily available datasets, enabling the mainstream inclusion of TOF in national forest resource assessments for other countries.

Tractor safety and related injuries in Iranian farms

BackgroundSeveral thousand worker injuries and fatalities worldwide per year is the consequence of agricultural activities especially working with farm tractors. The aim of this study was to determine current levels of farm tractors drivers' safety attitudes in Iranian agriculture besides type and severity of tractor-related injuries. MethodSocio-demographic properties of a sample of 281 tractor drivers and their injuries were investigated using face to face interview. The severity of injuries were also determined. The drivers' attitudes toward safety issues were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis. ResultsThe results revealed that drivers aged 30–45 years had higher rates of injuries. Most of injuries were moderate (41%) occurring due mainly to oily surfaces on the tractor or implements, carelessness or fatigue during the work. The low-income group had also higher injuries since the drivers in this group work with no regular work-rest schedule and they usually work with old tractors equipped with unsafe facilities. Those that do comply with safety measures are likely to have fewer exposures to unsafe work practices and consequence injuries. Further education of tractors drivers in various aspects of farm safety besides enforced regulations to adjust safety issues are the possible approaches to prevent tractor-related injuries.

Nitrate removal from water by immobilized bacteria

Abstract Nitrate may reach surface and ground waters as a consequence of agricultural activity and discharge of domestic and industrial waste. Among the various methods used for nitrate removal, denitrification, a process in which nitrate is biologically reduced to elemental nitrogen, is relatively reliable and inexpensive as compared to other physical and chemical nitrate removal processes. Denitrification is generally conducted with biofilters in which bacteria are either immobilized to the surface of insoluble carriers or are entrapped within an immobilization matrix. We examined the use of non-toxic and biodegradable natural hydrocolloids for entrapment of denitrifying bacteria. Gel beads containing starch and alginate were used for this purpose. Three types of gel beads were examined: (1) wet gel beads; (2) porous wet gel beads; and (3) freeze-dried gel beads. With respect to nitrate removal, wet and dried gel beads showed similar removal capacities. Porous beads demonstrated an advantage over regular gel beads only during the first of the approximately 3-month incubation period. The viability of the immobilized bacteria was only slightly affected during prolonged refrigerated storage of the beads. Compared to freeze-dried beads, production costs of wet beads are significantly reduced, so it is anticipated that such carriers will eventually lead to a method that can be applied on an industrial scale.

Sugar cane nutrient requirements and the role of atmospheric deposition supplying supplementary fertilization in a Venezuelan sugar cane plantation

As a consequence of high industrial and agricultural activities, acidic rains loaded with pollutants—including nutrients—are characteristic of northern central Venezuela, a region dominated by sugar cane plantations. Canopies of forest and agricultural crops can modify the chemistry of rainfall through uptake, leaching and outwash of deposited ions. This paper describes the change in the chemistry of acid rains after passing through a sugar cane canopy. Four plots of 300m2 within a 4.5 ha experimental area, planted with Saccharum officinarum had rain and throughfall collectors installed. The study corresponds to the analysis of the growing season of the third ratoon. The pH of the rain in the agroecosy stem increased after passing through the canopy. The magnitudes of the changes were important and partially related to the significant amount of cations leached from the leaves or washed out from dry deposition to the leaves. N inputs for wet and dry deposition in the agroecosystem were high (25.25kg ha−1 yr−1) as a consequence of the agricultural activity in the area, the local burning of sugar cane before cropping, and the location of the experimental area close to petrochemical and fertilizer industries. Rainfall constitutes an important source of nutrient inputs to the sugar cane system. In the case of macronutrients (N, P and K) the inputs were high and supply an important fraction of plant nutrient needs, as occurs for zinc and copper.

Using Multivariate Statistical and Geostatistical Methods to Identify Spatial Variability of Trace Elements in Agricultural Soils in Dongguan City, Guangdong, China

Dongguan City, located in the Pearl River Delta, South China, is famous for its rapid industrialization in the past 30 years. A total of 90 topsoil samples have been collected from agricultural fields, including vegetable and orchard soils in the city, and eight heavy metals (As, Cu, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and other items (pH values and organic matter) have been analyzed, to evaluate the influence of anthropic activities on the environmental quality of agricultural soils and to identify the spatial distribution of trace elements and possible sources of trace elements. The elements Hg, Pb, and Cd have accumulated remarkably here, incomparison with the soil background content of elements in Guangdong Province. Pollution is more serious in the western plain and the central region, which are heavily distributed with industries and rivers. Multivariate and geostatistical methods have been applied to differentiate the influences of natural processes and human activities on the pollution of heavy metals in topsoils in the study area. The results of cluster analysis (CA) and factor analysis (FA) show that Ni, Cr, Cu, Zn, and As are grouped in factor F1, Pb in F2, and Cd and Hg in F3, respectively. The spatial pattern of the three factors may be well demonstrated by geostatistical analysis. It is shown that the first factor could be considered as a natural source controlled by parent rocks. The second factor could be referred to as “industrial and traffic pollution sources”. The source of the third factor is mainly controlled by long-term anthropic activities, as a consequence of agricultural activities, fossil fuel consumption, and atmospheric deposition.

Susceptibilité magnétique et indices polliniques, marqueurs de l’impact anthropique et de la dynamique fluviale dans la basse vallée du Doubs (Jura, France) entre le Ier et le VIIIe siècles après J.-C.

Surface scanning magnetic susceptibility, microscopic charcoal counting and pollen analysis have been carried out on two cores from the lower Doubs valley. The interpretation of anthropogenic pollen indicators is discussed in relation to the lithological variations of sedimentary accumulation. The environmental changes which occurred during the 1 st and the 6 th century AD reflect the impact of human activities on the landscape in the immediate surroundings of the site. Magnetic susceptibility and pollen analysis indicate soil erosion as a consequence of agricultural activity. A renewal of hydric activity of the river recorded in the sedimentary sequences attests of a larger environmental evolution during the 3 rd century AD. Une mesure de la susceptibilité magnétique, une étude du contenu pollinique et des débris carbonisés ont été réalisées sur deux séquences sédimentaires prélevées dans la basse vallée du Doubs (Jura). La susceptibilité magnétique et la lithostratigraphie sont discutées en relation avec les indices polliniques d'anthropisation. Il apparaît alors que l'histoire environnementale enregistrée est extrêmement locale durant les phases d'anthropisation reconnues aux I er et VI e siècles après J.-C. La susceptibilité magnétique, corrélée aux indices polliniques d'anthropisation, apparaît comme un marqueur de l'érosion des sols, consécutive aux pratiques agricoles. Une phase de reprise de l'activité hydrique de la rivière, mise en évidence au III e siècle après J.-C., fournit une image plus large de l'évolution environnementale.

The Use of Mineral Magnetic Analyses in Identifying Middle and Late Holocene Agriculture—a Study of Peat Profiles in Småland, Southern Sweden

A transect of profiles from the Bråtamossen bog near the village of Axlarp, in the province of Småland, southern Sweden, was investigated with respect to magnetic properties, human-impact pollen indicators and loss on ignition. The bog is situated close to an area with clearance cairns, an indication of abandoned arable fields. There are also graves from the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age close to the bog. A variety of analytical methods were used to reconstruct the land-use history of this area since c. 6000 14 C years BP. While pollen analysis was used to detect changes in vegetation, the magnetic analyses reflected how the soils in the landscape were affected by these changes. The pollen analysis showed that the area became deforested and that forest vegetation was succeeded by pasture and arable land. Magnetic analyses indicated soil erosion as a consequence of agricultural activity. The conventional technique of determining the minerogenic content by loss on ignition yielded no valuable information.