Impact of Different Rooftop Coverings on Photovoltaic Panel Temperature

Photovoltaic(PV)panels are essential to the global transition towards sustainable energy,offering a clean,renewable source that reduces reliance on fossil fuels and mitigates climate change.High temperatures can significantly affect the performance of photovoltaic(PV)panels by reducing their efficiency and power output.This paper explores the consequential effect of various rooftop coverings on the thermal performance of photovoltaic(PV)panels.It investigates the relationship between the type of rooftop covering materials and the efficiency of PV panels,considering the thermal performance and its implications for enhancing their overall performance and sustainability.The study compares four rooftop covering materials:wooden flakes packs(both dry and wet),polystyrene,and woolen insulation.The measurements were implemented under Iraqi weather conditions.The comparison was based on the PV panels’thermal behavior and its impact on conversion efficiency.The results revealed that covering the roof beneath the installed PV panels reduces their temperature and increases efficiency.The best performance was observedwhen placingwetwooden flakes beneath the panels,with an efficiency increase of 5%.Moreover,thewoolen insulation offered an efficiency rise of 12%near sunset.Themain outcome of thiswork is that the wet–wooden–flakes showed the best performance improvement of the PV panels.

Comprehending drivers of land use land cover change from 1999 to 2021 in the Pithoragarh District,Kumaon Himalaya,Uttarakhand,India

The Himalayan region has been experiencing stark impacts of climate change,demographic and livelihood pattern changes.The analysis of land use and land cover(LULC)change provides insights into the shifts in spatial and temporal patterns of landscape.These changes are the combined effects of anthropogenic and natural/climatic factors.The present study attempts to monitor and comprehend the main drivers behind LULC changes(1999-2021)in the Himalayan region of Pithoragarh district,Uttarakhand.Pithoragarh district is a border district,remotely located in the north-east region of Uttarakhand,India.The study draws upon primary and secondary data sources.A total of 400 household surveys and five group discussions from 38 villages were conducted randomly to understand the climate perception of the local community and the drivers of change.Satellite imagery,CRU(Climatic Research Unit)climate data and climate perception data from the field have been used to comprehensively comprehend,analyze,and discuss the trends and reasons for LULC change.GIS and remote sensing techniques were used to construct LULC maps.This multifaceted approach ensures comprehensive and corroborated information.Five classes were identified and formed viz-cultivation,barren,settlement,snow,and vegetation.Results show that vegetation and builtup have increased whereas cultivation,barren land,and snow cover have decreased.The study further aims to elucidate the causes behind LULC changes in the spatially heterogeneous region,distinguishing between those attributed to human activities,climate shifts,and the interconnected impacts of both.The study provides a comprehensive picture of the study area and delivers a targeted understanding of local drivers and their potential remedies by offering a foundation for formulating sustainable adaptation policies in the region.

Changes in snow cover extent in the Central Taurus Mountains from 1981 to 2021 in relation to temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric teleconnections

The snow cover over the Taurus Mountains affects water supply, agriculture, and hydropower generation in the region. In this study, we analyzed the monthly Snow Cover Extent(SCE) from November to April in the Central Taurus Mountains(Bolkar, Aladaglar, Tahtali and Binboga Mountains) from 1981 to 2021. Linear trends of snow cover season(November to April) over the last 41 years showed decreases in SCE primarily at lower elevations. The downward trend in SCE was found to be more pronounced and statistically significant for only November and March. SCE in the Central Taurus Mountains has declined about-6.3% per decade for 2500-3000 m in November and about-6.0% per decade for 1000-1500 m and 3000+ m in March over the last 41 years. The loss of SCE has become evident since the 2000s, and the lowest negative anomalies in SCE have been observed in 2014, 2001, and 2007 in the last 41 years, which are consistent with an increase in air temperature and decreased precipitation. SCE was correlated with both mean temperature and precipitation, with temperature having a greater relative importance at all elevated gradients. Results showed that there is a strong linear relationship between SCE and the mean air temperature(r =-0.80) and precipitation(r = 0.44) for all elevated gradients during the snow season. The Arctic Oscillation(AO), the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO), and the Mediterranean Oscillation(MO) winter indices were used to explain the year-to-year variability in SCE over the Central Taurus Mountains. The results showed that the inter-annual variability observed in the winter SCE on the Central Taurus Mountains was positively correlated with the phases of the winter AO, NAO and MO, especially below 2000 m elevation.

Uncovering the Memories Sealed in Stones

Do stones havememories?Can theytalk?ForGewang,a conservatorwhohas dedicated tenyears toTibetan stone carvingart,theanswer is yes.Heis thrilled to witness the increasing efforts in the preservation and study of stone carvings and the growing number of peoplejoining this cause.

妊娠合并慢性乙型肝炎血清HBV pgRNA、PreS1抗原表达与肝内胆汁淤积症的相关性分析

目的 探究妊娠合并慢性乙型肝炎病人血清乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)前基因组RNA(HBV pgRNA)、前S1抗原(PreS1Ag)水平变化及与妊娠期肝内胆汁淤积症(ICP)发生的相关性。方法 选取2017年6月至2020年6月在雅安市人民医院进行孕期检查的慢性乙型肝炎孕妇279例作为研究对象,根据入组病人是否患有ICP分为合并ICP组43例、未合并ICP组236例。比较两组病人血清中HBV pgRNA、PreS1 Ag水平,并分析两组血清HBV pgRNA、PreS1 Ag表达与HBV DNA表达水平相关性;比较两组病人妊娠结局,并分析合并ICP组病人血清HBV pgRNA表达水平及PreS1 Ag阳性表达率与妊娠结局的关系。受试者操作特征(ROC)曲线分析血清HBV pgRNA、PreS1 Ag光密度[D(λ)]值诊断慢性乙型肝炎孕妇合并ICP的效能。结果 合并ICP组慢性乙型肝炎病人血清HBV表面抗原(HbsAg)水平[(3.71±0.92)log IU/mL]、HBV e抗原(HbeAg)阳性率[65.12%(28/43)]、HBV DNA含量[(8.03±1.69)log copies/mL]、天冬氨酸转氨酶(AST)[(79.68±15.73)U/L]、丙氨酸转氨酶(ALT)[(72.08±16.95)U/L]、PreS1 Ag阳性表达率[88.37%(38/43)]、PreS1 Ag D(λ)值水平(1.24±0.25)及HBV pgRNA表达水平[(5.17±1.25)log copies/mL]明显高于未合并ICP组[(2.26±0.74)log IU/mL、24.15%(57/236)、(5.19±1.07)logcopies/mL、(23.01±12.47)U/L、(21.76±10.51)U/L、67.80%(160/236)、(0.92±0.23)、(3.02±0.98)logcopies/mL](P<0.05)。血清HBV pgRNA诊断慢性乙型肝炎孕妇合并ICP的曲线下面积(AUC)为0.89,灵敏度为81.40%,特异度为80.50%。PreS1 Ag D(λ)值诊断慢性乙型肝炎孕妇合并ICP的AUC为0.83,灵敏度为76.70%,特异度为79.20%。二者联合诊断的AUC为0.91,灵敏度为93.00%,特异度为78.40%。合并ICP组、未合并ICP组血清PreS1 Ag阳性的慢性乙型肝炎病人血清HBV DNA、HBV pgRNA表达水平均明显高于PreS1 Ag阴性表达病人(P<0.05)。合并ICP组、未合并ICP组血清HBV pgRNA、PreS1 Ag D(λ)值均与HBV DNA表达水平呈正相关(P<0.05)。合并ICP组产后出血、早产的发生率明显高于未合并ICP组(P<0.05)。发生不良妊娠结局的慢性乙型肝炎合并ICP病人血清PreS1 Ag阳性表达率、PreS1 Ag D(λ)值、HBV pgRNA表达水平均明显高于未发生不良妊娠结局病人(P<0.05)。结论 合并ICP的慢性乙型肝炎病人血清HBV pgRNA表达水平、PreS1 Ag阳性表达率及D(λ)值水平均明显升高,对ICP有一定诊断价值,且两者水平变化均与HBV DNA含量有关,并可能预示病人不良妊娠结局的发生。

血清preS1水平与慢性乙型肝炎患者肝纤维化的关系及对癌变的诊断价值

目的分析血清乙型肝炎病毒(hepatitis B virus,HBV)前S1蛋白(precursor S1 protein,preS1)与慢性乙型肝炎(chronic hepatitis B,CHB)肝纤维化及癌变进展的相关性。方法对2019年10月—2021年10月期间在青海红十字医院接受检查的228例乙肝表面抗原(hepatitis B surface antigen,HBsAg)阳性慢性HBV感染者进行回顾性分析,其中CHB患者75例、肝硬化(liver cirrhosis,LC)患者93例(LC组)、肝细胞癌(hepatocellular carcinoma,HCC)患者60例(HCC组)。根据LC和HCC组肝组织活检分析肝脏炎症活动及肝纤维化程度。结果HCC组血清preS1水平[496.32(457.63,988.0)ng/mL]和LC组[338.72(247.93,554.61)ng/mL]血清preS1水平均显著高于CHB组[113.69(87.09,177.40)ng/mL],且差异具有统计学意义(P均<0.05)。HCC组血清preS1水平亦高于LC组(P=0.002)。经受试者工作特征曲线分析,血清preS1水平鉴别诊断CHB与LC的曲线下面积(area under the curve,AUC)是0.881(95%CI:0.830~0.932),鉴别诊断CHB/LC与HCC的AUC是0.861(95%CI:0.815~0.908)。3组患者的血清preS1水平与HBsAg(rs=0.799,P<0.001)呈强正相关和Log HBV DNA(rs=0.262,P<0.001)呈弱正相关。此外LC组和HCC组血清preS1水平与肝脏炎症活动分级(rs=0.201,P=0.009)及肝纤维化分期也呈弱正相关性(rs=0.295,P<0.001)。结论血清preS1水平与血清HBsAg、HBV DNA水平和肝脏炎症和纤维化进展呈正相关,有可能成为鉴别诊断HBV相关慢性肝病肝硬化或癌变的候选标志物。

Uncovering the miRNA-mediated regulatory network involved in Ma bamboo(Dendrocalamus latiflorus)de novo shoot organogenesis

Bamboo is an important non-timber forest product and is well-known for its reluctance to regenerate.Recently we have established a de novo shoot organogenesis(DNSO)protocol in Ma bamboo(Dendrocalamus latiflorus)and revealed the transcriptomic dynamics during Ma bamboo regeneration,which suggested the potential roles of Ma bamboo microRNAs(DlamiRNAs)in this process.However,how DlamiRNAs regulate bamboo DNSO is poorly understood.Here we performed integrated analysis with sRNAome,degradome,and transcriptome sequencing by using samples covering the four stages of the bamboo DNSO process.A total of 727 DlamiRNAs showed differential expression during the bamboo DNSO process,and the core DlamiRNA-DlamRNA-mediated regulatory networks for bamboo DNSO were constructed.Based on the results,DlamiR156 was selected for further functional characterization of its potential roles in bamboo DNSO.Transgenic bamboos with increased DlamiR156 levels exhibited an enhancement in their regeneration efficiency.Conversely,when DlamiR156 levels were downregulated,the regeneration efficiencies of transgenic bamboos decreased.Our findings show that the DlamiRNA-mediated regulatory pathways are significant in the process of bamboo regeneration and will contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing plant organogenesis in a more comprehensive manner.

Parallel machine covering with limited number of preemptions

In this paper, we investigate the/-preemptive scheduling on parallel machines to maximize the minimum machine completion time, i.e., machine covering problem with limited number of preemptions. It is aimed to obtain the worst case ratio of the objective value of the optimal schedule with unlimited preemptions and that of the schedule allowed to be preempted at most i times. For the m identical machines case, we show the worst case ratio is 2m-i-1/m and we present a polynomial time algorithm which can guarantee the ratio for any 0 〈 i 〈2 m - 1. For the /-preemptive scheduling on two uniform machines case, we only need to consider the cases of i = 0 and i = 1. For both cases, we present two linear time algorithms and obtain the worst case ratios with respect to s, i.e., the ratio of the speeds of two machines.

植物PRE类转录因子基因的研究进展

多效唑是一种赤霉素合成抑制剂,抗多效唑(paclobutrazol-resistance,PRE)基因家族编码的蛋白质可与多效唑发生拮抗作用,这些蛋白质具有螺旋-环-螺旋(basic Helix-Loop-Helix,bHLH)结构,在高等植物中参与转录调控从而在植物发育的许多方面发挥关键作用.PRE基因通过参与各种激素(如赤霉素,油菜素内酯,生长素等)、温度和光响应信号通路来调节植物的生长和发育,对植物生长发育具有重要意义.综述PRE基因在植物中的研究进展,主要包括PRE基因的基本性质、分类、功能以及所参与的植物生理过程等方面,为进一步研究植物PRE类转录因子基因提供理论基础.

The Research on the Psychological Tactic of Covering the Dagger With a Smile

Thirty-Six Stratagems is one of the most important military works of ancient China.As the name of the book,it totally includes 36 stratagems that can be used in many different fields such as military,business,and politics.Covering the dagger with a smile is one of the most common ones in these stratagems.At the same time,it is the most insidious one.As a kind of psychological tactic,it usually acts as the secret weapon of the weak.Though this stratagem should not be seen as a kind of predominant strategy,it is still worth being researched deeply,because knowing more about this psychological tactic will offer a good reference for the researchers of ancient art of war.

Adding Value to Crop Production Systems by Integrating Forage Cover Crop Grazing

In addition to their value as cereal grains, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack) are important cool-season annual forages and cover crops. Yearling steer (Bos taurus) performance was compared in the spring following autumn establishment as for age cover crops after soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] grain harvest. Replicated pastures (0.4 ha) were no-till seeded in three consecutive years into soybean stubble in autumn, fertilized, and grazed the following spring near Ithaca, NE, USA. Each pasture (n = 3) was continuously stocked in spring with four yearling steers (380 ± 38 kg) for 17, 32, and 28 d in 2005, 2006, and 2007, respectively. In 2005, average daily gain (ADG) for steers grazing triticale exceeded the ADG for wheat by 0.31 kghd-1d-1. In 2006, wheat ADG exceeded that for triticale by 0.12 kghd-1d-1. In 2007, steers grazing wheat lost weight, while steers grazing triticale gained 0.20 kghd-1d-1. Based on the 3-year average animal gains valued at $1.32 kg-1, mean net return ($ ha-1 yr-1) was $62.15 for triticale and $22.55 for wheat. Since these grazed cover crops provide ecosystem services in addition to forage, grazing could be viewed as a mechanism for recovering costs and adds additional value to the system. Based on this 3-year grazing trial, triticale was superior to wheat and likely will provide the most stable beef yearling performance across years with variable weather for the western Cornbelt USA.

Modelling Land Use/Land Cover Change of River Rwizi Catchment, South-Western Uganda Using GIS and Markov Chain Model

Analysis of catchment Land use/Land cover (LULC) change is a vital tool in ensuring sustainable catchment management. The study analyzed land use/land cover changes in the Rwizi catchment, south western Uganda from 1989-2019 and projected the trend by 2040. Landsat images, field observations, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Changes in cropland, forestland, built up area, grazing land, wetland and open water bodies were analyzed in ArcGIS version 10.2.2 and ERDAS IMAGINE 14 software and a Markov chain model. All the LULC classes increased in area except grazing land. Forest land and builtup area between 2009-2019 increased by 370.03% and 229.53% respectively. Projections revealed an increase in forest land and builtup area by 2030 and only built up area by 2040. LULCC in the catchment results from population pressure, reduced soil fertility and high value of agricultural products.

Changes in Spring Snow Cover over the Eastern and Western Tibetan Plateau and Their Associated Mechanism

The spring snow cover(SC)over the western Tibetan Plateau(TP)(TPSC)(W_TPSC)and eastern TPSC(E_TPSC)have displayed remarkable decreasing and increasing trends,respectively,during 1985–2020.The current work investigates the possible mechanisms accounting for these distinct TPSC changes.Our results indicate that the decrease in W_TPSC is primarily attributed to rising temperatures,while the increase in E_TPSC is closely linked to enhanced precipitation.Local circulation analysis shows that the essential system responsible for the TPSC changes is a significant anticyclonic system centered over the northwestern TP.The anomalous descending motion and adiabatic heating linked to this anticyclone leads to warmer temperatures and consequent snowmelt over the western TP.Conversely,anomalous easterly winds along the southern flank of this anticyclone serve to transport additional moisture from the North Pacific,leading to an increase in snowfall over the eastern TP.Further analysis reveals that the anomalous anticyclone is associated with an atmospheric wave pattern that originates from upstream regions.Springtime warming of the subtropical North Atlantic(NA)sea surface temperature(SST)induces an atmospheric pattern resembling a wave train that travels eastward across the Eurasian continent before reaching the TP.Furthermore,the decline in winter sea ice(SIC)over the Barents Sea exerts a persistent warming influence on the atmosphere,inducing an anomalous atmospheric circulation that propagates southeastward and strengthens the northwest TP anticyclone in spring.Additionally,an enhancement of subtropical stationary waves has resulted in significant increases in easterly moisture fluxes over the coastal areas of East Asia,which further promotes more snowfall over eastern TP.

Assessing Spatio-Temporal Land Cover Changes in Dhund River Basin, Eastern Rajasthan (India), Using Multi-Temporal Landsat Data

Land cover is an impression of natural cover on surface of earth such as bare soil, river, grass etc. and utilization of these natural covers for various human needs and purposes by mankind is defined as land use. Land cover identification, delineation and mapping is important for planning activities, resource management and global monitoring studies while baseline mapping and subsequent monitoring is done by application of land use to get timely information about quantity of land that has been used. The present study has been carried out in Dhund river watershed of Jaipur, Rajasthan which covers an area of about 1828 sq∙km. The minimum and maximum elevation of the area is found to be 214 m and 603 m respectively. Land use and land cover changes of three decades from 1991 to 2021 have been interpreted by using remotes sensing and GIS techniques. ArcGIS software (Arc map 10.2), SOI topographic map, Cartosat-1 DEM and satellite data of Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 have been used for interpretation of eleven classes. The study shows an increase in cultivated land, settlement, waterbody, open forest, plantation and mining due to urbanization because of increasing demands of food, shelter and water while a decrease in dense forest, river, open scrub, wasteland and uncultivated land has also been marked due to destruction of aforementioned by anthropogenic activities such as industrialization resulting in environmental degradation that leads to air, soil and water pollution.

Glacier area change (1993-2019) and its relationship to debris cover, proglacial lakes, and morphological parameters in the Chandra-Bhaga Basin, Western Himalaya, India

Glacier inventories serve as critical baseline data for understanding the impacts of climate change on glaciers.The present study maps the outlines of glaciers in the Chandra-Bhaga Basin(western Himalaya)for the years 1993,2000,2010,and 2019 using Landsat Thematic Mapper(TM),Enhanced Thematic Mapper(ETM),and Operational Land Imager(OLI)datasets.A total of 251 glaciers,each having an area above 0.5 km^(2),were identified,which include 216 clean-ice and 35 debris-covered glaciers.Area changes are estimated for three periods:1993-2000,2000-2010,and 2010-2019.The total glacierized area was 996±62 km^(2) in 1993,which decreased to 973±70 km^(2) in 2019.The mean rate of glacier area loss was higher in the recent decade(2010-2019),at 0.036 km^(2),compared to previous decades(0.029 km^(2) in 2000-2010 and 0.025 km^(2) in 1993-2000).Supraglacial debris cover changes are also mapped over the period of 1993 and 2019.It is found that the supraglacial debris cover increased by 14.12±2.54 km^(2)(15.2%)during 1993-2019.Extensive field surveys on Chhota Shigri,Panchi II,Patsio,Hamtah,Mulkila,and Yoche Lungpa glaciers were carried out to validate the glacier outlines and supraglacial debris cover estimated using satellite datasets.Controls of various morphological parameters on retreat were also analyzed.It is observed that small,clean ice,south oriented glaciers,and glaciers with proglacial lakes are losing area at faster rates than other glaciers in the basin.

Land use and cover change and influencing factor analysis in the Shiyang River Basin,China

Land use and cover change(LUCC)is the most direct manifestation of the interaction between anthropological activities and the natural environment on Earth's surface,with significant impacts on the environment and social economy.Rapid economic development and climate change have resulted in significant changes in land use and cover.The Shiyang River Basin,located in the eastern part of the Hexi Corridor in China,has undergone significant climate change and LUCC over the past few decades.In this study,we used the random forest classification to obtain the land use and cover datasets of the Shiyang River Basin in 1991,1995,2000,2005,2010,2015,and 2020 based on Landsat images.We validated the land use and cover data in 2015 from the random forest classification results(this study),the high-resolution dataset of annual global land cover from 2000 to 2015(AGLC-2000-2015),the global 30 m land cover classification with a fine classification system(GLC_FCS30),and the first Landsat-derived annual China Land Cover Dataset(CLCD)against ground-truth classification results to evaluate the accuracy of the classification results in this study.Furthermore,we explored and compared the spatiotemporal patterns of LUCC in the upper,middle,and lower reaches of the Shiyang River Basin over the past 30 years,and employed the random forest importance ranking method to analyze the influencing factors of LUCC based on natural(evapotranspiration,precipitation,temperature,and surface soil moisture)and anthropogenic(nighttime light,gross domestic product(GDP),and population)factors.The results indicated that the random forest classification results for land use and cover in the Shiyang River Basin in 2015 outperformed the AGLC-2000-2015,GLC_FCS30,and CLCD datasets in both overall and partial validations.Moreover,the classification results in this study exhibited a high level of agreement with the ground truth features.From 1991 to 2020,the area of bare land exhibited a decreasing trend,with changes primarily occurring in the middle and lower reaches of the basin.The area of grassland initially decreased and then increased,with changes occurring mainly in the upper and middle reaches of the basin.In contrast,the area of cropland initially increased and then decreased,with changes occurring in the middle and lower reaches.The LUCC was influenced by both natural and anthropogenic factors.Climatic factors and population contributed significantly to LUCC,and the importance values of evapotranspiration,precipitation,temperature,and population were 22.12%,32.41%,21.89%,and 19.65%,respectively.Moreover,policy interventions also played an important role.Land use and cover in the Shiyang River Basin exhibited fluctuating changes over the past 30 years,with the ecological environment improving in the last 10 years.This suggests that governance efforts in the study area have had some effects,and the government can continue to move in this direction in the future.The findings can provide crucial insights for related research and regional sustainable development in the Shiyang River Basin and other similar arid and semi-arid areas.

Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics in the Eseka Alluvial Gold Mining District, Centre Region, Cameroon

Local populations in Cameroon thrive on forest resources and the flow of ecosystem services they provide are pivotal in sustaining national economy, improving people’s lives, safeguarding biodiversity, and mitigating the impacts of environmental changes. The exploitation of these resources invariably leads to deforestation and forest degradation. This study was designed to evaluate land use land cover change (LULCC) in the Eseka alluvial gold mining district with the aid of Landsat images. In the investigation of forest cover change, four Landsat satellite images for (1990, 2002, 2015 and 2022) were used. Ground-truthing also helped to identify the activities carried out by the local population and to determine agents, drivers and pressures of land use and land cover change. Four main land cover classes namely: forest, agricultural land, settlement/mining camps and water bodies were selected. Between 1990 and 2022, the proportion of forest decreased from 98% to 34% while those of agricultural land and settlement/mining camps increased from 2% to 60% and 0.54% to 6% respectively. Analysis showed ongoing deforestation with forest cover loss of ~98,263 ha in 32 years giving a cover change percentage of 63.94%. Kappa coefficient for the study period ranged from 0.92 to 0.99. Forest cover loss could be attributed to farming activities, wood extraction and alluvial gold mining activities. Economic motives notably the need to increase household income from a frequent demand for farm and wood products in neighbouring towns and the quest for gold were the main drivers of these activities. Hence, this study assesses the impact of human activities from the mining sector on the forest ecosystem in a bid to inform mitigation policies.

Characteristics of the microbial communities regulate soil multi-functionality under different cover crop amendments in Ultisol

The use of cover crops is a promising strategy for influencing the soil microbial consortium,which is essential for the delivery of multiple soil functions(i.e.,soil multifunctionality).Nonetheless,relatively little is known about the role of the soil microbial consortium in mediating soil multifunctionality under different cover crop amendments in dryland Ultisols.Here,we assessed the multifunctionality of soils subjected to four cover crop amendments(control,non-amended treatment;RD,radish monoculture;HV,hairy vetch monoculture;and RDHV,radish-hairy vetch mixture),and we investigated the contributions of soil microbial richness,network complexity,and ecological clusters to soil multifunctionality.Our results demonstrated that cover crops whose chemical composition differed from that of the main plant crop promoted higher multifunctionality,and the radish-hairy vetch mixture rendered the highest enhancement.We obtained evidence that changes in soil microbial richness and network complexity triggered by the cover crops were associated with higher soil multifunctionality.Specifically,specialized microbes in a key ecological cluster(ecological cluster 2)of the soil microbial network were particularly important for maintaining soil multifunctionality.Our results highlight the importance of cover crop-induced variations in functionally important taxa for promoting the soil multifunctionality of dryland Ultisols.

Modelling the water diversion of a sustainable cover system under humid climates

Extreme rainfall significantly threatens the safety of the landfill cover system,especially under humid climates.This study aims to provide design recommendations for a sustainable landfill cover system consisting of a low-permeability soil layer underlying a two-layer capillary barrier for humid climates.First,the numerical back-analysis was conducted for verification against a series of flume model tests.Then,a parametric study was performed to investigate the effects of inclination angle,particle size and layer thickness on the lateral diversion length(DL)of the three-layer cover system under the 100-year return period rainfall of humid climates.The results show that the water lateral DL of the cover system can be greatly enhanced by increasing the inclination angle from 3°to 18°.Moreover,the bottom layer of the cover system with a coarser d10 was more susceptible to the impact of the heavy rainfall,while this can be alleviated by increasing the thickness of the bottom layer.A dimensionless number,defined as the ratio of thickness and d_(10) of the bottom layer,is proposed for designing lateral diversion of the three-layer cover system under humid climates.To preserve the maximum DL,it is suggested that the proposed dimensionless number should be larger than 95 and 110 for the design of rainfall events with 50-year and 100-year return periods for humid climates,respectively.

Near-Surface Soil Chemical Properties as Affected by Cover Crops Over Time in the Lower Mississippi River Valley

Typical row-crop agricultural practices can potentially be harmful to soil health and future sustainability. The use of cover crops (CC) as a mechanism to improve soil health on a wide scale remains underutilized. Soil health remains a major concern for the sustainability of agricultural productivity, therefore, research into CC implementation as a mean to preserve or improve soil health is warranted. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of CC on the soils in the eastern Arkansas portion of the Lower Mississippi River Valley (LMRV) over time for various chemical soil parameters, including pH, soil organic matter (SOM), soil elemental contents (i.e., P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and B), soil respiration, and a generalized soil health score index. Soil pH decreased over time under both CC and no-cover-crop (NCC) treatments, by −0.3 and −0.2, respectively. Soil OM decreased over time under NCC by −0.1%, but did not differ between CC treatments. Soil N availability decreased over time under NCC (−22.6 kg·ha−1), but did not change over time under CC. Soil respiration decreased over time under both CC and NCC, by −76.1 mg·L−1 and −77.3 mg·L−1, respectively, though there was no effect of CC treatment. The Haney soil health score index decreased under CC (−7.0) and NCC (−6.8) without an effect from CC treatment. Results of the study place emphasis on the temporal nature of soil health as influenced by cover crops and their potential to improve soil health.