Special Issue "Recent Advances in Environmental Research"

Editor-in-Chief
Prof. Dr. Paul B. Tchounwou
Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratory, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi 39217, USA
Website: http://www.jsums.edu/cset/Biology/faculty/tchounwou.htm
E-Mail:
Interests: molecular toxicology; mutagenesis and carcinogenesis; environmental epidemiology and health risk assessment; biomarkers of exposure; effect and susceptibility; gene-environment interactions and diseases; natural resource damage assessment and management

Submission

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Environmental Recovery in Arid Lands: A Systematic Review in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of Western North America
Author: Scott R. Abella
Affiliation: Department of Environmental Studies, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154-2040, USA; E-Mail: scott.abella@unlv.edu
Abstract: Disturbances such as wildfire or soil disruption that remove vegetation from arid lands are linked to both ecological and human health problems. Abandoned agricultural lands in the Mojave Desert, for example, generate dust resulting in violations to air quality particulate matter standards in downwind urban areas. The severity and duration of problems often hinge upon how quickly and to what extent vegetation recovers following disturbances. However, environmental recovery of arid lands is poorly understood compared to more temperate regions and is complicated by inherently harsh environments. This paper provides a quantitative, systematic review of the recovery of plant communities in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, the hottest deserts in North America. Based on 32 published studies that examined eight disturbance types (e.g., wildfire, mining activities), cover of perennial plants reestablishes within 40 years. In contrast, recovery times of species composition vary with disturbance type and other environmental factors. Implications of these results in the contexts of global climate change, expanding wildland-urban interfaces, desertification, and findings from environmental recovery in other arid lands are discussed.

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Assessing Sustainable Residential Building Performance in Urban China: Barriers and Challenges
Author: Grace Ding
Affiliation: School of the Built Environment, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia; E-Mail: Grace.Ding@uts.edu.au
Abstract: China is the fourth largest country in the world and accommodates more than 20% of the world’s population. With its economic growth since the economic reforms starting from 1978 the environmental degradation in China has been accelerated with the rapid growth in population and urbanization. The foremost problem that has challenged the government is the insufficient supply of housings. The growth in housing requirement has increased the demand for energy, natural resources and arable lands. Any improvement in the sustainable performance of residential housing in China will have significant impacts on environmental deterioration on a global scale. In order for residential buildings to be more sustainable the government introduced the Evaluation Standard for Green Buildings in 2006 to assess environmental performance of buildings. The scheme is no doubt a significant local tool in assessing environmental performance of residential development. However, there are still improvements that can be made to make it far more effective.
Keywords: Sustainable residential development; green building; environmental assessment methods

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Reduction Potentials of Greenhouse Gases from Animals from the View of Animal Nutrition – A Review
Author: Gerhard Flachowsky
Affiliaton: Institute of Animal Nutrition, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Bundesallee 50, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany; E-Mail: gerhard.flachowsky@t-online.de
Abstract: Animals emit certain amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) or precursors (e.g. nitrogen; N) of such gases (e.g. laughing gas; N₂O). All the gases are considered to calculate Carbon Footprints (CF). The objective of the review is to summarize and evaluate the reduction potentials of such gases in animals. CO₂ comes directly from metabolic processes in the animals and from processes along the food chain (burning of carbon). CO₂ from the metabolism is considered as emission neutral, but the gas from fuel should be reduced. CH₄ is an unavoidable by-product of the anaerobic fermentation of microbial digestion, esp. in ruminants. Reduction potentials such as feeding strategy, animal performances, various feed additives etc. will be considered. Animals do not emit N₂O directly, but N in urine and faeces can be converted into N₂O. Reduction potentials are discussed. Finally the consequences of various reduction potentials on the CF will be shown.