A Combined Biophysical and Economic GIS Framework to Assess Sugarcane Cropping Potential in Brazil

Recently, the increasing demand for biofuels triggered a new phase for the sugar‐alcohol sector. In Brazil, as well as in other tropical countries, this process raised worries regarding the possible direct and indirect effects of the crop's expansion on the conversion of native vegetation coverings. Therefore, the modeling of spatial‐economic surfaces, representing the potential rent variation in its spatial component, for economic activities, may be a useful tool in the decision‐making process. Hence, here we propose and present the results of a combined framework composed of two modules using the modeling platform Dinamica EGO. The first module simulates sugarcane's growth, calculating the daily response of the crop to environmental conditions during the stages of the plant's development. The second module estimates rents for sugarcane cultivation in Brazil, identifying areas where this activity would bring higher economic return, looking at simulated productivity, production costs and selling prices in a way that is spatially explicit for Brazil. Two different scenarios for production costs were tested, and results ranged from negative values to maxima of R$/ha 929 and R$/ha 1176 for standard and efficient costs of production, respectively. The model successfully indicated non‐profitable and profitable areas, and regions where high expected economic return overlaps endangered ecosystems.     

Sources of organic carbon in the Portuguese continental shelf sediments during the Holocene period

Organic C (OC) and total N (TN) concentrations, and stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C) in muddy deposit sediments of the Northern and Southern Portuguese continental shelf were used to identify sources of fine-sized organic matter (<63 μm) during the Holocene period. Sedimentary columns off the Guadiana (core CRIDA 05), Tagus (core MD 992332) and Douro (core KSGX 57) estuaries are characterised by elemental and isotopic values that reflect distinct sources of organic matter (OC/TN and δ¹³C ranging, respectively, from 8.5 to 21 and from −22.4‰ to −27‰). Intense supplies to the Guadiana continental shelf of fine terrigenous particles during the Younger-Dryas Event are closely linked with higher OC/TN values and lower δ¹³C ratios. During the postglacial transgression phase, an increasing contribution of marine supplies (up to 80%) occurred. Higher δ¹³C (up to −22.4‰) values and low OC/TN ratios (down to 8.5) are found as the sea level approaches the current one. The Upper Holocene records emphasize the return to enhanced terrestrial supplies except for the Little Climatic Optimum between the 11th and 15th centuries AD. This climatic event is especially obvious in the three cores as a return to marine production and a decrease in terrestrial sediment supply to the continental shelf. The return to a cooling event, the Little Ice Age, between the 15th and 19th centuries AD, is mirrored by decreased terrigenous supplies in core KSGX 57. Gradually increasing sedimentation in estuaries, as well as formation of coastal dune fields, have been hypothesized on the basis of increasing δ¹³C and decreasing OC, TN and OC/TN values.     

A grain-size correction for metal pollution indexes in river sediments

According to the List of Hazardous Substances of the Agency of the Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR 2017),some metallic elements such as Pb or Cd are still considered as the most polluting elements in the world.These elements accumulate in sediments,and there are various methods available that differentiate lithogenic sources from anthropogenic sources.For that,the natural geochemical background is required,however,its definition is far from unanimous:it can be a global or local value,single or statistically estimated value,depending on the studies.Our study is focused on the Suba
e River in the state of Bahia,Northeastern Brazil,which was historically contaminated by lead metallurgy.The river sediments were sampled at 21 locations:one at the discharge point of the plant's rainwater basin,ten upstream,and ten downstream.The total contents of Fe,Ti,Mn,Pb,Zn,Cu,Cr,particle-size distribution,and organic matter were analyzed.The conventional geochemical indexes,i.e.,the pollution degree(mCd),pollution load index,and enrichment factor indicated contamination by Zn,Pb,Cr,and Cu.Then,a new enrichment factor is introduced,assuming that the sediments come from erosion of soils in the watershed.After obtaining the natural concentrations of metals in the clay,silt,and sand fractions of uncontaminated reference soils,we corrected the pollution indexes by calculating a new individual background in each sediment sample,according to its grain size distribution.This new approach provided more precise indexes in the assessment of sediment pollution,by highlighting higher contamination of Zn and Pb(around 50%)and at the same time the absence of Cr and Cu contamination,two metals not involved with the metallurgical activity.     

Determination of reaeration‐rate coefficient by modified tracer gas technique

The modified tracer gas technique is used to determine the reaeration coefficient in six different water bodies of the Itajaí River basin, three with rural land use and three in urban areas. Propane was used as the tracer gas and Rhodamine WT as the conservative tracer, providing information on dilution, mixing and dispersion. Liquefied petroleum gas was used instead of high purity propane, aimed at reducing the costs associated with the field trials. Reaeration‐rate coefficients observed in the field ranged from 25.8 to 367.7 d^?1. Two data sets could be observed where smaller streams had substantially larger coefficients of between 133.1 and 367.7 d^?1, while the larger streams had values ??ranging from 25.8 to 54.5 d^?1. Five empirical equations were evaluated by comparing the values ??obtained in the field. The equations proposed by Tsivolgou and Wallace and Tsivoglou and Neal showed greater adherence to the values ??determined in the tests. Reaeration‐rate coefficients obtained in the field were correlated with the hydrodynamic characteristics of the watercourses, thus establishing a mathematical function through which to obtain estimates for future evaluations. The R² value obtained using this equation was 0.959, indicating a high correlation between the calculated values ??and those estimated in the field. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Steepness and asymmetry of the largest waves in storm sea states

Several steepness coefficients are proposed to describe the steepness and asymmetry of the largest individual waves in measured records of storm sea states. These coefficients are calculated for data collected in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Several statistical relationships between the new parameters are identified.