Agri-food contestations in rural space: GM in its regulatory context

Why are genetic technologies necessary in the agri-food sector and why have they created such opposition in the rural domain? The paper attempts to place GM in its contested regulatory context, situated as part of three different and competing paradigms of agri-food and rural development: the agri-industrial, post-productivist and rural development models. Conceptually, it is argued that GM is currently positioned as a relatively new variant and component of the mutating and dominant agri-industrial paradigm. This sets the context and development of GM at a global level. The paper explores in its first part how the spread of GM relates to the maintenance of the unsustainable. Whilst this remains a driving force we see, in the second part, with reference to the unfolding nature of European regulation since 2000, the ways in which this agri-industrial imperative is shaped by particular State actions which blend this agri-industrial model with a wider set of consumer, private sector and environmental concerns. Overall, the EU has managed to translate a global agri-industrial imperative, despite significant external pressure, into a highly regulated ‘post-productionist’ framework in which both private and public interests are given responsibility for delivering consumer rights. This may, or may not allow room for rural sustainable development alternatives to take hold. At least it provides something of an opportunity.     

Ar/Ar dating of the Bandelier Tuff and San Diego Canyon ignimbrites, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico: Temporal constraints on magmatic evolution

The Jemez Mountains volcanic field (JMVF), located in north-central New Mexico, has been a site of basaltic to rhyolitic volcanism since the mid-Miocene with major caldera forming eruptions occurring in the Pleistocene. Eruption of the upper Bandelier Tuff (UBT) is associated with collapse of the Valles Caldera, whereas eruption of the lower Bandelier Tuff (LBT) resulted in formation of the Toledo Caldera. These events were previously dated by K-Ar at 1.12 ± 0.03 Ma and 1.45 ± 0.06 Ma, respectively. Pre-Bandelier explosive eruptions produced the San Diego Canyon (SDC) ignimbrites. SDC ignimbrite “B” has been dated at 2.84 ± 0.07 Ma, whereas SDC ignimbrite “A”, which underlies “B”, has been dated at 3.64 ± 1.64 Ma. Both of these dates are based on single K-Ar analyses.⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of single sanidine crystals from these units indicates revision of the previously reported dates. Isochron analysis of 26 crystals from the UBT gives a common trapped ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar component of 304.5, indicating the presence of excess ⁴⁰Ar in this unit, and defines an age of 1.14 ± 0.02 Ma. Isochron analysis of 26 crystals from the LBT indicates an atmospheric trapped component and an age of 1.51 ± 0.03 Ma. An age of 1.78 ± 0.04 Ma, based on the weighted mean of 5 individual analyses, is indicated for SDC ignimbrite “B”, whereas 3 analyses from SDC ignimbrite “A” give a weighted mean age of 1.78 ± 0.07 Ma. Evidence for xenocrystic contamination in the SDC ignimbrites comes from analyses of a correlative air-fall pumice unit in the Puye Formation alluvial fan giving ages of 1.75 ± 0.08 and 3.50 ± 0.09 Ma. The presence of xenocrysts in bulk separates used for the original K-Ar analyses could account for the significantly older ages reported.Geochemical data indicate that SDC ignimbrites are early eruptions from the magma chamber which evolved to produce the LBT, as compositions of SDC ignimbrite “B” are virtually identical to least evolved LBT samples. Differentiation during the 270-ka interval between eruption of SDC ignimbrite “B” and the LBT produced an array of high-silica rhyolite compositions which were erupted to form the LBT. Mixed pumices associated with eruption of the LBT indicated an influx of more mafic magma into the system which produced shifts in some incompatible trace-element ratios. Lavas and tephras of the Cerro Toledo Rhyolite record the geochemical evolution of the Bandelier magma system during the 370-ka interval between eruption of the LBT and the UBT.The combined geochronologic and geochemical data place the establishment and evolution of the Bandelier silicic magma system within a precise temporal framework, beginning with eruption of the SDC ignimbrites at 1.78 Ma, and define a periodicity of 270–370 ka to ash-flow eruptions in the JMVF. These intervals are comparable to those in other multicyclic caldera complexes and are a measure of the timescales over which substantial fractionation of large silicic magma bodies occur.     

Radar speckle reduction and derived texture measures for land cover/use classification: a case study

This study examined the appropriateness of radar speckle reduction for deriving texture measures for land cover/use classifications. Radarsat-2 C-band quad-polarised data were obtained for Washington, DC, USA. Polarisation signatures were extracted for multiple image components, classified with a maximum-likelihood decision rule and thematic accuracies determined. Initial classifications using original and despeckled scenes showed despeckled radar to have better overall thematic accuracies. However, when variance texture measures were extracted for several window sizes from the original and despeckled imagery and classified, the accuracy for the radar data was decreased when despeckled prior to texture extraction. The highest classification accuracy obtained for the extracted variance texture measure from the original radar was 72%, which was reduced to 69% when this measure was extracted from a 5 × 5 despeckled image. These results suggest that it may be better to use despeckled radar as original data and extract texture measures from the original imagery.     

A controlling factor approach to estuary classification

A new approach to the classification of estuaries is described. The estuary environment classification (EEC) is based on a hierarchical view of the abiotic components that comprise the environments of estuaries. The EEC postulates that climate, oceanic, riverine and catchment factors ‘control’ a hierarchy of processes and broadly determine the physical and biological characteristics of estuaries. The classification differentiates estuaries at four levels of detail. Level 1 differentiates global scale variation based on differences in climatic and oceanic processes, which are discriminated by the factors: latitude, oceanic basins and large landmasses. Level 2 differentiates variation in estuary hydrodynamic processes, which are discriminated by estuary basin morphometry, river and oceanic forcing. Level 3 differentiates variation among estuaries that are due to catchment processes, which are discriminated by catchment geology and catchment land cover. The approach has been applied to all the estuaries in New Zealand using existing data sources. Estuaries were assigned class membership at each level of the classification by applying criteria in the form of decision rules to the database of assignment characteristics. GIS was then used to map the estuaries with classes being defined by colour at any level of the classification. The resulting map provides a multi-scale spatial framework that is suitable for many environmental or conservation management applications.     

Methods to identify and reduce potential surface stream water losses into abandoned underground mines

Methods to identify and subsequently seal surface water loss zones in stream channels were tested by the United States Bureau of Mines at Staub Run, a first-order stream near Frostburg, Maryland, that partially overlies abandoned coal mine workings. Conventional stream gauging was conducted to establish discharge patterns before and after stream sealing. Electromagnetic terrain conductivity surveys were performed within the stream channel to identify zones of increased relative water saturation to depths less than 15 m. Zones of increased conductivity were generally found to be associated with areas exhibiting statistically significant (P 0.05) gauged flow losses. Conversely, zones that exhibited declining conductivity delineated areas where between-station flows were not significantly different. Using this information on potential loss zones, an experimental grouting procedure was applied by injecting an expandable polyurethane grout to a depth less than one meter into the alluvial streambed over a 180-m section of the stream channel. Before grouting, the study section exhibited a 24 I/sec flow loss; first-phase grouting reduced this to a 14 I/sec flow loss; with a second-phase grouting the losses were only 3 I/sec.     

Assessment of annual high‐water events for the Mackenzie River basin,Canada

River ice break‐up is known to have important morphological, ecological and socio‐economic effects on cold‐regions river environments. One of the most persistent effects of the spring break‐up period is the occurrence of high‐water events. A return‐period assessment of maximum annual nominal water depths occurring during the spring break‐up and open‐water season at 28 Water Survey of Canada hydrometric sites over the 1913–2002 time period in the Mackenzie River basin is presented. For the return periods assessed, 13 (14) stations are dominated by peak events occurring during the spring break‐up (open‐water) season. One location is determined to have a mixed signal. A regime classification is proposed to separate ice‐ and open‐water dominated systems. As part of the regime classification procedure, specific characteristics of return‐period patterns including alignment, and difference between the 2 and 10‐year events are used to identify regime types. A dimensionless stage‐discharge plot allows for a contrast of the relative magnitudes of flows required to generate maximum nominal water‐depth events in the different regimes. At sites where discharge during the spring break‐up is approximately one‐quarter or greater than the magnitude of the peak annual discharge, nominal water depths can be expected to exceed those occurring during the peak annual discharge event. Several physical factors (location, basin area, stream order, gradient, river orientation, and climate) are considered to explain the differing regimes and discussed relative to the major sub‐regions of the MRB. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada.     

Three-dimensional simulations and wind-tunnel experiments on airflow over isolated forest stands

Prediction of windthrow risk to individual or groups of retained trees in harvested stands requires an improved understanding of canopy airflow dynamics. Large-eddy simulations were used to simulate wind-tunnel experiments in two and three dimensions to compare with observations for model validation and to address parameter space considerations for the design of subsequent retention pattern experiments. The three-dimensional simulations were similar to the observed wind-tunnel data for the statistical profiles for but there were greater differences in skewness and kurtosis. These results were obtained using a common leaf-area drag formulation without either skin friction or speed dependent drag that enables scaling with U ₀ (ambient wind speed) and h (height of the canopy). This scaling results in a single non-dimensional parameter h/h _c where h _c (x, y, z) is the momentum range resulting from the canopy drag. The validity of the model scaling was tested using two-dimensional simulations. The irrotational component of the flow (potential flow) was found to be important when defining vertical domain limitations and has significant implications for time dependent flow (i.e. turbulent conditions) when considering retention pattern design. The sudden onset of drag associated with the isolated stand presents some unexpected challenges. The horizontal scales of the shearing instabilities were simulated in two dimensions and found to range between 2h for early times to 7h for later times. The early-time horizontal scales are in the range of logical retention pattern scales and as such need to be taken into account as part of the parameter space, i.e. a range of retention pattern lengths need consideration.     

Monument-antenna effects on GPS coordinate time series with application to vertical rates in Antarctica

We examine the electromagnetic coupling of a GPS antenna–monument pair in terms of its simulated affect on long GPS coordinate time series. We focus on the Earth and Polar Observing System (POLENET) monument design widely deployed in Antarctica and Greenland in projects interested particularly in vertical velocities. We base our tests on an absolute robot calibration that included the top ~0.15 m of the monument and use simulations to assess its effect on site coordinate time series at eight representative POLENET sites in Antarctica over the period 2000.0–2011.0. We show that the neglect of this calibration would introduce mean coordinate bias, and most importantly for velocity estimation, coordinate noise which is highly sensitive to observation geometry and hence site location and observation period. Considering only sub-periods longer than 2.5 years, we show vertical site velocities may be biased by up to ±0.4 mm/year, and biases up to 0.2 mm/year may persist for observation spans of 8 years. Changing between uniform and elevation-dependent observation weighting alters the time series but does not remove the velocity biases, nor does ambiguity fixing. The effect on the horizontal coordinates is negligible. The ambiguities fixed series spectra show noise between flicker and random walk with near-white noise at the highest frequencies, with mean spectral indices (frequencies <20 cycles per year) of approximately −1.3 (uniform weighting) and −1.4 (elevation-dependent weighting). While the results are likely highly monument specific, they highlight the importance of accounting for monument effects when analysing vertical coordinate time series and velocities for the highest precision and accuracy geophysical studies.     

The comparative behavior of apatite‐zircon U‐Pb systems in Apollo 14 breccias: Implications for the thermal history of the Fra Mauro Formation

Abstract— We report secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) U‐Pb analyses of zircon and apatite from four breccia samples from the Apollo 14 landing site. The zircon and apatite grains occur as cogenetic minerals in lithic clasts in two of the breccias and as unrelated mineral clasts in the matrices of the other two. SIMS U‐Pb analyses show that the ages of zircon grains range from 4023 ± 24 Ma to 4342 ± 5 Ma, whereas all apatite grains define an isochron corresponding to an age of 3926 ± 3 Ma. The disparity in the ages of cogenetic apatite and zircon demonstrates that the apatite U‐Pb systems have been completely reset at 3926 ± 3 Ma, whereas the U‐Pb system of zircon has not been noticeably disturbed at this time. The apatite U‐Pb age is slightly older than the ages determined by other methods on Apollo 14 materials highlighting need to reconcile decay constants used for the U‐Pb, Ar‐Ar and Rb‐Sr systems. We interpret the apatite age as a time of formation of the Fra Mauro Formation. If the interpretation of this Formation as an Imbrium ejecta is correct, apatite also determines the timing of Imbrium impact. The contrast in the Pb loss behavior of apatite and zircon places constraints on the temperature history of the Apollo 14 breccias and we estimate, from the experimentally determined Pb diffusion constants and an approximation of the original depth of the excavated samples in the Fra Mauro Formation, that the breccias experienced an initial temperature of about 1300–1100 °C, but cooled within the first five to ten years.