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One of the biggest challenges in forestry research is the effective and accurate measuring and monitoring of forest variables, as the exploitation potential of forest inventory products largely depends on the accuracy of estimates and on the cost of data collection. This paper presented a novel computational method of low-cost forest inventory using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals in a crowdsourcing approach. Statistical features of GNSS signals were extracted from widely available GNSS devices and were used for predicting forest attributes, including tree height, diameter at breast height, basal area, stem volume, and above-ground biomass, in boreal forest conditions. The basic evidence of the predictions is the physical correlations between forest variables and the responses of GNSS signals penetrating through the forest. The random forest algorithm was applied to the predictions. GNSS-derived prediction accuracies were comparable with those of the most accurate 2-D remote sensing techniques, and the predictions can be improved further by integration with other publicly available data sources without additional cost. This type of crowdsourcing technique enables the collection of up-to-date forest data at low cost, and it significantly contributes to the development of new reference data collection techniques for forest inventory. Currently, field reference can account for half of the total costs of forest inventory.

SummaryConservation agriculture (CA) practices such as zero tillage (ZT) and permanent raised beds (PB) accelerate deposition of soil organic matter and augment associated biological properties of soil through enhanced inputs of organic carbon. However, the potential benefit of CA under intensive cereal‐based systems for key soil health indicators (such as carbon pools and biological activities) is only partially known. Therefore, we analysed the effect of three medium‐term tillage practices and four intensive crop rotations on selected soil organic carbon pools and microbial properties. The tillage practices consist of ZT, PB and conventional tillage (CT) in main plots and four crop rotations (MWMb, maize–wheat–mungbean; MCS, maize–chickpea–Sesbania; MMuMb, maize–mustard–mungbean; MMS, maize–maize–Sesbania) in subplots. The experimental design was split‐plot with three replications. After 6 years, we observed a significant positive effect of CA practices on soil organic carbon (SOC) content, labile SOC fractions, soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and dehydrogenase activity (DHA). The total organic carbon (TOC) was greatly affected by medium‐term tillage and diversified cropping systems; it was larger for CA and MCS and MWMb systems. The interaction effect between tillage and cropping systems for SOC content was not significant at all soil depths. Significantly larger contributions (8.5–25.5%) of labile SOC pools to TOC at various soil depths were recorded in PB and ZT. There was a significant positive effect of CA practices and diversified crop rotations on MBC and DHA at all the soil depths and sampling times, but the interaction effect between tillage and cropping systems was not significant. Thus, our medium‐term (≥ 5‐years) study showed that the combination of CA (PB and ZT) practices and appropriate choice of rotations (MCS and MWMb) appears to be the most appropriate option for restoration and improvement of the soil health of light‐textured Inceptisols through the accumulation of soil organic matter (SOM) and improvement in soil biological properties.Highlights Effect of conservation agriculture (CA) on soil labile carbon inputs and biological properties. Observed changes in SOC stock and C‐pools at different soil depths after 6 years. Significant effects of tillage and crop rotations observed for labile‐C pools. Adoption of ZT and PB enhanced SOC stock, C‐pools and microbial activity compared to CT.

Received 4 September 2013 Received in revised form 21 November 2013 Accepted 28 November 2013 Available online 31 December 2013 Keywords: Anisole Pyrolysis Oxidation Tars Biomass Kinetic modeling 1. Introduction Environmental concerns such as the control of greenhouse gas emissions have led to an increased interest in the use of renewable energy. Biomass is widely used in combustion but can also be uti- lized in more advanced applications such as the production of a synthesis gas (syngas, a mixture of CO and H2), which can be used for the production of liquid fuels such as Fisher-Tropsch or meth- anol. Lignocellulosic biomass may be a promising feedstock through the gasification processes [1,2], but tar is also formed dur- ing gasification [3]. The tar content in the product gas is the major cumbersome and problematic parameter in the gasification pro- cesses [4]. Tar represents a complex mixture of over 100 com- pounds [5,6]. It leads to fouling, coke deposition, and catalyst deactivation. Hence, tar conversion or removal is one of the main challenges for the successful development of commercial gasifica- tion technologies and has been extensively studied [7,8]. Evans and Milne [5] defined three main classes of tars: primary tars (low temperature, oxygenated) and secondary and tertiary tars (benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons--PAHs, etc.). In com- bustion and gasification reactors, the heaviest (tertiary) tars are ⇑ Corresponding author. Fax: +33 3 83 37 81 20. E-mail address: pierre-alexandre.glaude@univ-lorraine.fr (P.-A. Glaude). abstract Anisole was chosen as the simplest surrogate for primary tar from lignin pyrolysis to study the gas-phase chemistry of methoxyphenol conversion. Methoxyphenols are one of the main precursors of PAH and soot in biomass combustion and gasification. These reactions are of paramount importance for the atmospheric environment, to mitigate emissions from wood combustion, and for reducing tar formation during gasification. Anisole pyrolysis and stoichiometric oxidation were studied in a jet-stirred reactor (673-1173 K, residence time 2 s, 800 Torr (106.7 kPa), under dilute conditions) coupled with gas chromatography-flame ionization detector and mass spectrometry. Decomposition of anisole starts at 750 K and a conversion degree of 50% is obtained at about 850 K under both studied conditions. The main products of reaction vary with temperature and are phenol, methane, carbon monoxide, benzene, and hydrogen. A detailed kinetic model (303 species, 1922 reactions) based on a combustion model for light aromatic compounds has been extended to anisole. The model predicts the conversion of anisole and the formation of the main products well. The reaction flux analyses show that anisole decomposes mainly to phenoxy and methyl radicals in both pyrolysis and oxidation conditions. The decomposition of phenoxy radicals is the main source of cyclopentadienyl radicals, which are the main precursor of naphthalene and heavier PAH in these conditions.

Climate change affects the phenology of many species. As temperature and precipitation are thought to control autumn color change in temperate deciduous trees, it is possible that climate change might also affect the phenology of autumn colors. Using long-term data for eight tree species in a New England hardwood forest, we show that the timing and cumulative amount of autumn color are correlated with variation in temperature and precipitation at specific times of the year. A phenological model driven by accumulated cold degree-days and photoperiod reproduces most of the interspecific and interannual variability in the timing of autumn colors. We use this process-oriented model to predict changes in the phenology of autumn colors to 2099, showing that, while responses vary among species, climate change under standard IPCC projections will lead to an overall increase in the amount of autumn colors for most species.

To review the available evidence that examines the association between climatic and agricultural land use factors and the risks of enteric zoonoses in humans and consider information needs and possible pathways of intervention.The electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science and Embase and government websites were searched systematically for published literature that investigated the association of climatic and/or agricultural exposures with the incidence of the four most common enteric zoonotic diseases in New Zealand (campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis). Results The 16 studies in the review demonstrated significant associations between climate, agricultural land use and enteric disease occurrence. The evidence suggests that enteric disease risk from environmental reservoirs is pathogen specific. In some rural regions, environmental pathogen load is considerable, with multiple opportunities for zoonotic transmission.Enteric disease occurrence in NZ is associated with climate variability and agricultural land use. However, these relationships interact with demographic factors to influence disease patterns.Improved understanding of how environmental and social factors interact can inform effective public health interventions under scenarios of projected environmental change.

Abstract During successive industrial revolutions, the objective has not only been for industry to improve and satisfy its direct needs, it has also been to improve society’s standard of living and make life easier for the consumer. Therefore, economic growth should always go hand in hand with each industrial revolution. The medical industry, energy conservation and, in particular, production technologies will be transformed through new value chain models. Globalization, urbanization, demographic change and energy transformation are the transforming forces estimating the technological impetus for a better identification of solutions for a world on the move. In recent years, successive revolutions have made remarkable contributions to a person’s quality of life, safety, industrial economy, comfort and health. This work aims at improving the energy consumption of buildings. To achieve this goal, we have created a Digital Twin that accurately reflects the behavior and characteristics of a future or existing building. To reproduce a copy of the future or existing building, we chose to use the Autodesk REVIT solution to meet several constraints. These have a significant influence on the energy behavior of the building.

Heating and cooling using aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) has hardly been applied outside the Netherlands, even though it could make a valuable contribution to the energy transition. The Climate-KIC project "Europe-wide Use of Energy from aquifers" - E-USE(aq) - aimed to pave the way for Europe-wide application of ATES, through the realization and monitoring of six ATES pilot plants across five different EU countries. In a preceding paper, based on preliminary results of E-USE(aq), conclusions were already drawn, demonstrating how the barriers for this form of shallow geothermal energy can be overcome, and sometimes even leveraged as opportunities. Based on final pilot project results, key economic and environmental outcomes are now presented. This paper starts with the analysis of specific technological barriers: unfamiliarity with the subsurface, presumed limited compatibility with existing energy provision systems (especially district heating), energy imbalances and groundwater contamination. The paper then shows how these barriers have been tackled, using improved site investigation and monitoring technologies to map heterogeneous subsoils. In this way ATES can cost-efficiently be included in smart grids and combined with other sources of renewable (especially solar) energy, while at the same time achieving groundwater remediation. A comparative assessment of economic and environmental impacts of the pilots is included, to demonstrate the sustainability of ATES system with different renewables and renewable-based technologies. The paper concludes with an assessment of the market application potential of ATES, including in areas with water scarcity, and a review of climate beneficial impact.