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  • Environmental Microbiology  (51)
  • Natural Disasters  (42)
  • Oxford University Press  (93)
  • 2025-2025
  • 2015-2019  (80)
  • 2010-2014  (13)
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  • 1
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    Trade Liberalization versus Climate Change Policy for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture: Some Insights from Norway (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Description: Using a mathematical programming model of Norwegian agriculture, we explore interconnections between trade liberalization and reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We show that the Doha Round proposals for a new agreement on agriculture through the World Trade Organization would not generate significant reductions in emissions. Further trade liberalization would reduce emissions by cutting agricultural production but would not change production methods. Imposing a carbon tax would lead both to a reduction in output and the extensification of production. In contrast, if farmers are allowed to claim a credit for carbon sequestration the effect is to intensify agricultural production.
    Keywords: F18 - Trade and Environment, Q17 - Agriculture in International Trade, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
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  • 2
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    Oligomycins and pamamycin homologs impair motility and induce lysis of zoospores of the grapevine downy mildew pathogen, Plasmopara viticola (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-07-20
    Description: Four antibiotics (pamamycin, oligomycin A, oligomycin B and echinosporin) were isolated and characterized from the fermentation broth of the marine Streptomyces strains B8496 and B8739. Bioassays revealed that each of these compounds impaired motility and caused subsequent lysis of P. viticola zoospores in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Pamamycin displayed the strongest motility inhibitory and lytic activities (IC 50 0.1 μg mL –1 ) followed by oligomycin B (IC 50 0.15 and 0.2 μg mL –1 ) and oligomycin F (IC 50 0.3 and 0.5 μg mL –1 ). Oligomycin A and echinosporin also showed motility inhibitory activities against the zoospores with IC 50 values of 3.0 and 10.0 μg mL –1 , respectively. This is the first report of motility inhibitory and lytic activities of these antibiotics against zoospores of a phytopathogenic peronosporomycete. Structures of all the isolated compounds were determined based on detailed spectroscopic analysis.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    Diverse sulfur metabolisms from two subterranean sulfidic spring systems (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-07-31
    Description: In sulfidic environments, microbes oxidize reduced sulfur compounds via several pathways. We used metagenomics to investigate sulfur metabolic pathways from microbial mat communities in two subterranean sulfidic streams in Lower Kane Cave, WY, USA and from Glenwood Hot Springs, CO, USA. Both unassembled and targeted recA gene assembly analyses revealed that these streams were dominated by Epsilonproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria , including groups related to Sulfurovum , Sulfurospirillum , Thiothrix and an epsilonproteobacterial group with no close cultured relatives. Genes encoding sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR) were abundant at all sites, but the specific SQR type and the taxonomic affiliation of each type differed between sites. The abundance of thiosulfate oxidation pathway genes (Sox) was not consistent between sites, although overall they were less abundant than SQR genes. Furthermore, the Sox pathway appeared to be incomplete in all samples. This work reveals both variations in sulfur metabolism within and between taxonomic groups found in these systems, and the presence of novel epsilonproteobacterial groups.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Mutations in NalC induce MexAB-OprM overexpression resulting in high level of aztreonam resistance in environmental isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-07-31
    Description: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen with high resistance to a wide variety of antimicrobials. The multidrug resistance pump MexAB-OprM promotes the efflux of various antibiotics, mostly when mutations accumulate in the transcriptional regulators MexR, NalC and NalD, thereby causing MexAB-OprM overexpression. In this work, a characterization of 50 P. aeruginosa isolates obtained from Brazilian agricultural soils to determine the reasons of their resistance to aztreonam was done. The majority of the isolates showed higher aztreonam resistance than wild-type strain by MIC method. DNA sequence analysis of mexR , nalC and nalD genes from 13 of these isolates showed the amino acid substitution in NalC for all tested isolates, just one mutation was detected in MexR and none in NalD. Furthermore, an increase in the level of mexA expression by real-time RT-PCR analysis in eight isolates harboring mutations in NalC was found. Although there was not a relationship between MIC of aztreonam and the level of mexA expression, on the other hand, the results presented here suggest that novel mutations in NalC, including Arg 97 -Gly and Ala 186 -Thr, are related to MexAB-OprM overexpression causing aztreonam resistance in P. aeruginosa environmental isolates.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 5
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    Identification of active aerobic methanotrophs in plateau wetlands using DNA stable isotope probing (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-07-31
    Description: Sedge-dominated wetlands on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau are methane emission centers. Methanotrophs at these sites play a role in reducing methane emissions, but relatively little is known about the composition of active methanotrophs in these wetlands. Here, we used DNA stable isotope probing to identify the key active aerobic methanotrophs in three sedge-dominated wetlands on the plateau. We found that Methylocystis species were active in two peatlands, Hongyuan and Dangxiong. Methylobacter species were found to be active only in Dangxiong peat. Hongyuan peat had the highest methane oxidation rate, and cross-feeding of carbon from methanotrophs to methylotrophic Hyphomicrobium species was observed. Owing to a low methane oxidation rate during the incubation, the labeling of methanotrophs in Maduo wetland samples was not detected. Our results indicate that there are large differences in the activity of methanotrophs in the wetlands of this region.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 6
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    MiniTn7-transposon delivery vectors for inducible or constitutive fluorescent protein expression in Enterobacteriaceae (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-08-05
    Description: Here we present the generation and function of two sets of bacterial plasmids that harbor fluorescent genes encoding either blue, cyan, yellow or red fluorescent proteins. In the first set, protein expression is controlled by the strong and constitutive nptII promoter whereas in the second set, the strong tac promoter was chosen that underlies LacI q regulation. Furthermore, the plasmids are mobilizable, contain Tn 7 transposons and a temperature-sensitive origin of replication. Using Escherichia coli S17-1 as donor strain, the plasmids allow fast and convenient Tn 7 -transposon delivery into many enterobacterial hosts, such as the here-used E. coli O157:H7. This procedure omits the need of preparing competent recipient cells and antibiotic resistances are only transiently conferred to the recipients. As the fluorescence proteins show little to no overlap in fluorescence emission, the constructs are well suited for the study of multicolored synthetic bacterial communities during biofilm production or in host colonization studies, e.g. of plant surfaces. Furthermore, tac promoter-reporter constructs allow the generation of so-called reproductive success reporters, which allow to estimate past doublings of bacterial individuals after introduction into environments, emphasizing the role of individual cells during colonization.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 7
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    Temperature Changes, Household Consumption, and Internal Migration: Evidence from Tanzania (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-07-09
    Description: Large rural-urban wage gaps observed in many developing countries are suggestive of barriers to migration that keep potential migrants in rural areas. Using long panel data spanning nearly two decades, I study the extent to which migration rates are constrained by liquidity constraints in rural Tanzania. The analysis begins by quantifying the impact of weather variation on household welfare. The results show how household consumption co-moves with temperature, rendering households vulnerable to local weather events. These temperature-induced income shocks are then found to inhibit long-term migration among men, thus preventing them from tapping into the opportunities brought about by geographical mobility.
    Keywords: O12 - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development, O15 - Human Resources ; Human Development ; Income Distribution ; Migration, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, R23 - Regional Migration ; Regional Labor Markets ; Population
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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  • 8
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    Increase of genetic diversity and clonal replacement of epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in South-East Austria (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-06-23
    Description: Spa -typing and microarray techniques were used to study epidemiological changes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in South-East Austria. The population structure of 327 MRSA isolated between 2002 and 2012 was investigated. MRSA was assigned to 58 different spa types and 14 different MLST CC (multilocus sequence type clonal complexes); in particular, between 2007 and 2012, an increasing diversity in MRSA clones could be observed. The most abundant clonal complex was CC5. On the respective SCC mec cassettes, the CC5 isolates differed clearly within this decade and CC5/SCC mec I, the South German MRSA, predominant in 2002, was replaced by CC5/SCC mec II, the Rhine-Hesse MRSA in 2012. Whereas in many European countries MLST CC22-MRSA (EMRSA 15, the Barnim epidemic MRSA) is predominant, this clone occurred in Austria nearly 10 years later than in neighbouring countries. CC45, the Berlin EMRSA, epidemic in Germany, was only sporadically found in South-East Austria. The Irish ST8-MRSA-II represented by spa -type t190 was frequently found in 2002 and 2007, but disappeared in 2012. Our results demonstrate clonal replacement of MRSA clones within the last years in Austria. Ongoing surveillance is warranted for detection of changes within the MRSA population.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 9
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    Effects of dietary fibre source on microbiota composition in the large intestine of suckling piglets (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-06-23
    Description: This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary fibre sources on the gut microbiota in suckling piglets, and to test the hypothesis that a moderate increase of dietary fibre may affect the gut microbiota during the suckling period. Suckling piglets were fed different fibre-containing diets or a control diet from postnatal day 7 to 22. Digesta samples from cecum, proximal colon and distal colon were used for Pig Intestinal Tract Chip analysis. The data showed that the effects of fibre-containing diet on the gut microbiota differed in the fibre source and gut location. The alfalfa diet increased Clostridium cluster XIVb and Sporobacter termitidis in the cecum compared to the pure cellulose diet. Compared to the control diet, the alfalfa diet also increased Coprococcus eutactus in the distal colon, while the pure cellulose diet decreased Eubacterium pyruvativorans in the cecum. The pure cellulose diet increased Prevotella ruminicola compared to the wheat bran diet. Interestingly, the alfalfa group had the lowest abundance of the potential pathogen Streptococcus suis in the cecum and distal colon. These results indicated that a moderate increase in dietary fibres affected the microbial composition in suckling piglets, and that the alfalfa inclusion produced some beneficial effects on the microbial communities.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 10
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    Microbial detoxification in the gut of a specialist avian herbivore, the Greater Sage-Grouse (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-06-23
    Description: One function of the gut microbiota gaining recent attention, especially in herbivorous mammals and insects, is the metabolism of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). We investigated whether this function exists within the gut communities of a specialist avian herbivore. We sequenced the cecal metagenome of the Greater Sage-Grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ), which specializes on chemically defended sagebrush ( Artemisia spp.). We predicted that the cecal metagenome of the sage-grouse would be enriched in genes associated with the metabolism of PSMs when compared to the metagenome of the domestic chicken. We found that representation of microbial genes associated with ‘xenobiotic degradation and metabolism’ was 3-fold higher in the sage-grouse cecal metagenomes when compared to that of the domestic chicken. Further, we identified a complete metabolic pathway for the degradation of phenol to pyruvate, which was not detected in the metagenomes of the domestic chicken, bovine rumen or 14 species of mammalian herbivores. Evidence of monoterpene degradation (a major class of PSMs in sagebrush) was less definitive, although we did detect genes for several enzymes associated with this process. Overall, our results suggest that the gut microbiota of specialist avian herbivores plays a similar role to the microbiota of mammalian and insect herbivores in degrading PSMs.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 11
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    Endosymbiotic bacteria in honey bees: Arsenophonus spp. are not transmitted transovarially (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-06-23
    Description: Intracellular endosymbiotic bacteria are common and can play a crucial role for insect pathology. Therefore, such bacteria could be a potential key to our understanding of major losses of Western honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) colonies. However, the transmission and potential effects of endosymbiotic bacteria in A. mellifera and other Apis spp. are poorly understood. Here, we explore the prevalence and transmission of the genera Arsenophonus , Wolbachia , Spiroplasma and Rickettsia in Apis spp. Colonies of A. mellifera ( N = 33, with 20 eggs from worker brood cells and 100 adult workers each) as well as mated honey bee queens of A. cerana , A. dorsata and A. florea ( N = 12 each) were screened using PCR. While Wolbachia , Spiroplasma and Rickettsia were not detected, Arsenophonus spp. were found in 24.2% of A. mellifera colonies and respective queens as well as in queens of A. dorsata (8.3%) and A. florea (8.3%), but not in A. cerana . The absence of Arsenophonus spp. from reproductive organs of A. mellifera queens and surface-sterilized eggs does not support transovarial vertical transmission. Instead, horizontal transmission is most likely.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 12
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    Widespread ability of fungi to drive quinone redox cycling for biodegradation (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-05-12
    Description: Wood-rotting fungi possess remarkably diverse extracellular oxidation mechanisms, including enzymes, such as laccase and peroxidases, and Fenton chemistry. The ability to biologically drive Fenton chemistry by the redox cycling of quinones has previously been reported to be present in both ecologically diverging main groups of wood-rotting basidiomycetes. Therefore, we investigated whether it is even more widespread among fungal organisms. Screening of a diverse selection of a total of 18 ascomycetes and basidiomycetes for reduction of the model compound 2,6-dimethoxy benzoquinone revealed that all investigated strains were capable of reducing it to its corresponding hydroquinone. In a second step, depolymerization of the synthetic polymer polystyrene sulfonate was used as a proxy for quinone-dependent Fenton-based biodegradation capabilities. A diverse subset of the strains, including environmentally ubiquitous molds, white-rot fungi, as well as peatland and aquatic isolates, caused substantial depolymerization indicative for the effective employment of quinone redox cycling as biodegradation tool. Our results may also open up new paths to utilize diverse fungi for the bioremediation of recalcitrant organic pollutants.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 13
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    Properties and biotechnological applications of ice-binding proteins in bacteria (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-05-12
    Description: Ice-binding proteins (IBPs), such as antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and ice-nucleating proteins (INPs), have been described in diverse cold-adapted organisms, and their potential applications in biotechnology have been recognized in various fields. Currently, both IBPs are being applied to biotechnological processes, primarily in medicine and the food industry. However, our knowledge regarding the diversity of bacterial IBPs is limited; few studies have purified and characterized AFPs and INPs from bacteria. Phenotypically verified IBPs have been described in members belonging to Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Flavobacteriia classes, whereas putative IBPs have been found in Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Bacilli classes. Thus, the main goal of this minireview is to summarize the current information on bacterial IBPs and their application in biotechnology, emphasizing the potential application in less explored fields such as agriculture. Investigations have suggested the use of INP-producing bacteria antagonists and AFPs-producing bacteria (or their AFPs) as a very attractive strategy to prevent frost damages in crops. UniProt database analyses of reported IBPs (phenotypically verified) and putative IBPs also show the limited information available on bacterial IBPs and indicate that major studies are required.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 14
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    Cloning, expression and mutation of a triazophos hydrolase gene from Burkholderia sp. SZL-1 (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-05-12
    Description: Triazophos is a broad-spectrum and highly effective insecticide, and the residues of triazophos have been frequently detected in the environment. A triazophos-degrading bacterium, Burkholderia sp. SZL-1, was isolated from a long-term triazophos-polluted soil. Strain SZL-1 could hydrolyze triazophos to 1-phenyl-3-hydroxy-1,2,4-triazole, which was further utilized as the carbon sources for growth. The triazophos hydrolase gene trhA , cloned from strain SZL-1, was expressed and homogenously purified using Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid affinity chromatography. TrhA is 55 kDa and displays maximum activity at 25°C, pH 8.0. This enzyme still has nearly 60% activity at the range of 15°C–50°C for 30 min. TrhA was mutated by sequential error prone PCR and screened for improved activity for triazophos degradation. One purified variant protein (Val89-Gly89) named TrhA-M1 showed up to 3-fold improvement in specific activity against triazophos, and the specificity constants of K cat and K cat / K m for TrhA-M1 were improved up to 2.3- and 8.28-fold, respectively, compared to the wild-type enzyme. The results in this paper provided potential material for the contaminated soil remediation and hydrolase genetic structure research.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 15
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    A case in support of implementing innovative bio-processes in the metal mining industry (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-05-12
    Description: The metal mining industry faces many large challenges in future years, among which is the increasing need to process low-grade ores as accessible higher grade ores become depleted. This is against a backdrop of increasing global demands for base and precious metals, and rare earth elements. Typically about 99% of solid material hauled to, and ground at, the land surface currently ends up as waste (rock dumps and mineral tailings). Exposure of these to air and water frequently leads to the formation of acidic, metal-contaminated run-off waters, referred to as acid mine drainage, which constitutes a severe threat to the environment. Formation of acid drainage is a natural phenomenon involving various species of lithotrophic (literally ‘rock-eating’) bacteria and archaea, which oxidize reduced forms of iron and/or sulfur. However, other microorganisms that reduce inorganic sulfur compounds can essentially reverse this process. These microorganisms can be applied on industrial scale to precipitate metals from industrial mineral leachates and acid mine drainage streams, resulting in a net improvement in metal recovery, while minimizing the amounts of leachable metals to the tailings storage dams. Here, we advocate that more extensive exploitation of microorganisms in metal mining operations could be an important way to green up the industry, reducing environmental risks and improving the efficiency and the economy of metal recovery.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 16
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    Local warming and violent conflict in North and South Sudan (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-04-14
    Description: Our article contributes to the emerging micro-level strand of the literature on the link between local variations in weather shocks and conflicts by focusing on a pixel-level analysis for North and South Sudan between 1997 and 2009. Temperature anomalies are found to strongly affect the risk of conflict, whereas the risk is expected to magnify in a range of 24–31% in the future under a median scenario. Our analysis also sheds light on the competition over natural resources, in particular water, as the main driver of such relationship in a region where pastoralism constitutes the dominant livelihood.
    Keywords: D74 - Conflict ; Conflict Resolution ; Alliances, O13 - Agriculture ; Natural Resources ; Energy ; Environment ; Other Primary Products, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, R11 - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, and Changes
    Print ISSN: 1468-2702
    Electronic ISSN: 1468-2710
    Topics: Geography , Economics
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  • 17
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    Dealing with Uncertainty in Agent-Based Simulation: Farm-Level Modeling of Adaptation to Climate Change in Southwest Germany (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-04-18
    Description: Climate change will most likely confront agricultural producers with natural, economic, and political conditions that have not previously been observed and are largely uncertain. As a consequence, extrapolation from past data reaches its limits, and a process-based analysis of farmer adaptation is required. Simulation of changes in crop yields using crop growth models is a first step in that direction. However, changes in crop yields are only one pathway through which climate change affects agricultural production. A meaningful process-based analysis of farmer adaptation requires a whole-farm analysis at the farm level. We use a highly disaggregated mathematical programming model to analyze farm-level climate change adaptation for a mountainous area in southwest Germany. Regional-level results are obtained by simulating each full-time farm holding in the study area. We address parameter uncertainty and model underdetermination using a cautious calibration approach and a comprehensive uncertainty analysis. We deal with the resulting computational burden using efficient experimental designs and high-performance computing. We show that in our study area, shifted crop management time slots can have potentially significant effects on agricultural supply, incomes, and various policy objectives promoted under German and European environmental policy schemes. The simulated effects are robust against model uncertainty and underline the importance of a comprehensive assessment of climate change impacts beyond merely looking at crop yield changes. Our simulations demonstrate how farm-level models can contribute to a process-based analysis of climate change adaptation if they are embedded into a systematic framework for treating inherent model uncertainty.
    Keywords: C61 - Optimization Techniques ; Programming Models ; Dynamic Analysis, C63 - Computational Techniques, Q12 - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Irrigation Decisions for Major West Coast Crops: Water Scarcity and Climatic Determinants (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-12-13
    Description: This article uses the 2007 Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey database developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assess the impact of water scarcity and climate on irrigation decisions for producers of specialty crops, wheat, and forage crops. We estimate an irrigation management model for major crops in the West Coast (California, Oregon, and Washington), which includes a farm-level equation of irrigated share and crop-specific equations of technology adoption and water application rate (orchard/vineyard, vegetable, wheat, alfalfa, hay, and pasture). We find that economic and physical water scarcity, climate, and extreme weather, such as frost, extreme heat, and drought, significantly impact producers’ irrigation decisions. Producers use sprinkler technologies or additional water applications to mitigate risk of crop damage from extreme weather. Water application rates are least responsive to surface water cost or groundwater well depth for producers of orchard/vineyard. Water supply institutions influence producers’ irrigation decisions. Producers who receive water from federal agencies use higher water application rates and are less likely to adopt water-saving irrigation technologies for some crops. Institutional arrangements, including access to distinct water sources (surface or ground) and whether surface water cost is fee based, also affect the responsiveness of water application rates to changes in surface water cost. The analysis provides valuable information about how producers in irrigated agricultural production systems would respond and adapt to water pricing policies and climate change.
    Keywords: Q12 - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets, Q15 - Land Ownership and Tenure ; Land Reform ; Land Use ; Irrigation, Q16 - R&D ; Agricultural Technology ; Agricultural Extension Services, Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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  • 19
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    Nitric oxide scavengers differentially inhibit ammonia oxidation in ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-04-01
    Description: Differential inhibitors are important for measuring the relative contributions of microbial groups, such as ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), to biogeochemical processes in environmental samples. In particular, 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide (PTIO) represents a nitric oxide scavenger used for the specific inhibition of AOA, implicating nitric oxide as an intermediate of thaumarchaeotal ammonia oxidation. This study investigated four alternative nitric oxide scavengers for their ability to differentially inhibit AOA and AOB in comparison to PTIO. Caffeic acid, curcumin, methylene blue hydrate and trolox were tested on Nitrosopumilus maritimus , two unpublished AOA representatives (AOA-6f and AOA-G6) as well as the AOB representative Nitrosomonas europaea . All four scavengers inhibited ammonia oxidation by AOA at lower concentrations than for AOB. In particular, differential inhibition of AOA and AOB by caffeic acid (100 μM) and methylene blue hydrate (3 μM) was comparable to carboxy-PTIO (100 μM) in pure and enrichment culture incubations. However, when added to aquarium sponge biofilm microcosms, both scavengers were unable to inhibit ammonia oxidation consistently, likely due to degradation of the inhibitors themselves. This study provides evidence that a variety of nitric oxide scavengers result in differential inhibition of ammonia oxidation in AOA and AOB, and provides support to the proposed role of nitric oxide as a key intermediate in the thaumarchaeotal ammonia oxidation pathway.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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  • 20
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    An Introduction to the Green Paradox: The Unintended Consequences of Climate Policies (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-07-18
    Description: How important is the Green Paradox? We address this question in three ways. First, we present a simple model explaining how announcing a future climate policy may increase carbon emissions today – the Green Paradox effect. This effect is a result of fossil fuel producers increasing their extraction today as a response to a reduction in future resource rents. Second, we examine the theoretical and empirical literature to assess whether green paradoxes are likely to occur, and if they are, whether they are big enough to be of concern for policy makers. We consider several factors that affect the existence of the green paradox, including long-term extraction costs, short-term extraction capacities, the mix of policy instruments, and potential spatial carbon leakage to countries that have no climate policy. We find that these and other factors can sometimes strengthen, but mostly weaken, the case for concern about the green paradox. Third, we identify the lessons the literature offers for policy makers. We argue that in designing climate policy, policy makers need to consider the supply side of the fossil fuel market.
    Keywords: H23 - Externalities ; Redistributive Effects ; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies, Q31 - Demand and Supply, Q38 - Government Policy, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    Introductory Comment-The Green Paradox: A Supply-Side View of the Climate Problem (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-07-18
    Description: Why have policies aimed at reducing the demand for carbon not succeeded in slowing down global carbon extraction and CO 2 emissions, and why have carbon prices failed to increase over the last three decades? This comment argues that this is because of the Green Paradox, that is, the anticipation of sales by resource owners who try to preempt the destruction of their markets by green policies. Reviewing some of the conditions under which strong and weak versions of the Green Paradox may emerge, it is argued that there is little hope that green replacement technologies will impose hard price constraints that would keep long-run extraction within a fixed carbon budget and that, therefore, even strong versions of the paradox cannot easily be avoided.
    Keywords: O13 - Agriculture ; Natural Resources ; Energy ; Environment ; Other Primary Products, Q32 - Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, H23 - Externalities ; Redistributive Effects ; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    The Green Paradox in Open Economies: Lessons from Static and Dynamic Models (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-07-18
    Description: This article examines how, in a world with incomplete coordination among countries, well-intentioned unilateral environmental policies may actually harm the global environment. This outcome is known as the "Green Paradox." The incentives for free-riding and the challenge of achieving an effective international environmental agreement are reviewed. I examine the various channels that lead to carbon leakage in static models of open economies, and report some simulation results. This is complemented by a review of the potential for Green Paradox outcomes in dynamic open-economy models in which forward-looking firms exploit an exhaustible resource. I show that border tax adjustments can lead to Green Paradox outcomes. I also discuss priorities for future research on environmental policies in a trading world that lacks a central enforcement agency.
    Keywords: Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, Q42 - Alternative Energy Sources
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    Reflections-Managing Uncertain Climates: Some Guidance for Policy Makers and Researchers (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-07-18
    Description: Climate change—and, by extension, climate policy—is beset with unknowns and unknowables. This "Reflections" article presents an overview of approaches to managing climate uncertainties, in the hopes of providing guidance for current policy decisions as well as future research. We propose the following guidance for policy makers: Treat climate change as a risk management problem; recognize that benefit-cost analysis is only the first of many steps in deciding on optimal climate policy; in assessing abatement choices, use a discount rate that declines over time; recognize the importance of framing, evidence, and connecting the dots; reward modesty. We suggest the following questions for consideration by researchers: Can we improve forecasting? Can we improve the way we address nonlinearities and possible irreversibilities? What other (sub)disciplines merit a closer look? How can we create the right incentives for updating and expanding economic damage functions and climate-economy models? What alternative decision criteria merit further exploration? What does ‘not knowing’ tell us?
    Keywords: Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, D81 - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    A novel isolate and widespread abundance of the candidate alphaproteobacterial order (Ellin 329), in southern Appalachian peatlands (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-07-02
    Description: Peatlands of all latitudes play an integral role in global climate change by serving as a carbon sink and a primary source of atmospheric methane; however, the microbial ecology of mid-latitude peatlands is vastly understudied. Herein, next generation Illumina amplicon sequencing of small subunit rRNA genes was utilized to elucidate the microbial communities in three southern Appalachian peatlands. In contrast to northern peatlands, Proteobacteria dominated over Acidobacteria in all three sites. An average of 11 bacterial phyla was detected at relative abundance values 〉1%, with three candidate divisions (OP3, WS3 and NC10) represented, indicating high phylogenetic diversity. Physiological traits of isolates within the candidate alphaproteobacterial order, Ellin 329, obtained here and in previous studies indicate that bacteria of this order may be involved in hydrolysis of poly-, di- and monosaccharides. Community analyses indicate that Ellin 329 is the third most abundant order and is most abundant near the surface layers where plant litter decomposition should be primarily occurring. In sum, members of Ellin 329 likely play important roles in organic matter decomposition, in southern Appalachian peatlands and should be investigated further in other peatlands and ecosystem types.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    Marine phage genomics: the tip of the iceberg (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-07-02
    Description: Marine viruses are the most abundant biological entity in the oceans, the majority of which infect bacteria and are known as bacteriophages. Yet, the bulk of bacteriophages form part of the vast uncultured dark matter of the microbial biosphere. In spite of the paucity of cultured marine bacteriophages, it is known that marine bacteriophages have major impacts on microbial population structure and the biogeochemical cycling of key elements. Despite the ecological relevance of marine bacteriophages, there are relatively few isolates with complete genome sequences. This minireview focuses on knowledge gathered from these genomes put in the context of viral metagenomic data and highlights key advances in the field, particularly focusing on genome structure and auxiliary metabolic genes.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Plants of the fynbos biome harbour host species-specific bacterial communities (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-07-02
    Description: The fynbos biome in South Africa is globally recognised as a plant biodiversity hotspot. However, very little is known about the bacterial communities associated with fynbos plants, despite interactions between primary producers and bacteria having an impact on the physiology of both partners and shaping ecosystem diversity. This study reports on the structure, phylogenetic composition and potential roles of the endophytic bacterial communities located in the stems of three fynbos plants ( Erepsia anceps , Phaenocoma prolifera and Leucadendron laureolum ). Using Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA sequencing we found that different subpopulations of Deinococcus-Thermus, Alphaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Firmicutes dominated the endophytic bacterial communities. Alphaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria were prevalent in P. prolifera , whereas Deinococcus-Thermus dominated in L. laureolum , revealing species-specific host–bacteria associations. Although a high degree of variability in the endophytic bacterial communities within hosts was observed, we also detected a core microbiome across the stems of the three plant species, which accounted for 72% of the sequences. Altogether, it seems that both deterministic and stochastic processes shaped microbial communities. Endophytic bacterial communities harboured putative plant growth-promoting bacteria, thus having the potential to influence host health and growth.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Millimeter scale electron conduction through exoelectrogenic mixed species biofilms (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-07-03
    Description: The functioning of many natural and engineered environments is dependent on long distance electron transfer mediated through electrical currents. These currents have been observed in exoelectrogenic biofilms and it has been proposed that microbial biofilms can mediate electron transfer via electrical currents on the centimeter scale. However, direct evidence to confirm this hypothesis has not been demonstrated and the longest known electrical transfer distance for single species exoelectrogenic biofilms is limited to 100 μm. In the present study, biofilms were developed on electrodes with electrically non-conductive gaps from 50 μm to 1 mm and the in situ conductance of biofilms was evaluated over time. Results demonstrated that the exoelectrogenic mixed species biofilms in the present study possess the ability to transfer electrons through electrical currents over a distance of up to 1 mm, 10 times further than previously observed. Results indicate the possibility of interspecies interactions playing an important role in the spatial development of exoelectrogenic biofilms, suggesting that these biological networks might remain conductive even at longer distance. These findings have significant implications in regards to future optimization of microbial electrochemical systems.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Drought Index Insurance for the Central Valley Project in California (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-08-20
    Description: A multi-year drought has taken a severe toll on the agricultural economy of California’s Central Valley. Index insurance is an instrument with the potential to protect water users from economic losses due to periodic water shortages. An index insurance product based on the Sacramento Index and adapted to the Central Valley Project water supply is proposed. To address the potential for intertemporal adverse selection, three product designs are suggested: (1) "early bird" insurance; (2) variable premium insurance; and (3) variable deductible insurance. The performance of the designs are assessed using loss functions from the Westlands Water District in the San Joaquin Valley.
    Keywords: Q14 - Agricultural Finance, Q15 - Land Ownership and Tenure ; Land Reform ; Land Use ; Irrigation, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Simultaneous detection of somatic and F-specific coliphages in different settings by Escherichia coli strain CB390 (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-08-28
    Description: Bacteriophages are increasingly being used as water quality indicators. Two groups of phages infecting Escherichia coli , somatic and F-specific coliphages, are being considered as indicators of fecal and viral contamination for several types of water around the world. However, some uncertainties remain regarding which coliphages to assess. Recently, E. coli strain CB390 has been reported to be suitable for simultaneous detection of both groups, which seems to be more informative than determining only one of the groups. Here, a significant number of samples from different settings, mostly those where F-specific phages have been reported to outnumber somatic coliphages, are analyzed for somatic coliphages, F-specific RNA phages by standardized methods and coliphages detected by host strain CB390. The results presented here confirm that the numbers of phages counted using CB390 are equivalent to the sum of the somatic and F-specific coliphages counted independently in all settings. Hence the usefulness of this strain for simultaneous detection of somatic and F-specific coliphages is confirmed. Also, sets of data on the presence of coliphages in reclaimed and groundwater are reported.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Uptake and effect of rare earth elements on gene expression in Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-06-04
    Description: It is well known that Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b has two forms of methane monooxygenase (MMO) responsible for the initial conversion of methane to methanol, a cytoplasmic (soluble) methane monooxygenase and a membrane-associated (particulate) methane monooxygenase, and that copper strongly regulates expression of these alternative forms of MMO. More recently, it has been discovered that M. trichosporium OB3b has multiple types of the methanol dehydrogenase (MeDH), i.e. the Mxa-type MeDH (Mxa-MeDH) and Xox-type MeDH (Xox-MeDH), and the expression of these two forms is regulated by the availability of the rare earth element (REE), cerium. Here, we extend these studies and show that lanthanum, praseodymium, neodymium and samarium also regulate expression of alternative forms of MeDH. The effect of these REEs on MeDH expression, however, was only observed in the absence of copper. Further, a mutant of M. trichosporium OB3b, where the Mxa-MeDH was knocked out, was able to grow in the presence of lanthanum, praseodymium and neodymium, but was not able to grow in the presence of samarium. Collectively, these data suggest that multiple levels of gene regulation by metals exist in M. trichosporium OB3b, but that copper overrides the effect of other metals by an as yet unknown mechanism.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Microbial impact on polysulfide dynamics in the environment (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-05-12
    Description: Polysulfides (S x 2– ) are sulfide oxidation intermediates that are important for a variety of environmentally relevant processes including pyrite formation, organic matter sulfidization, isotope exchange among reduced sulfur species, and metal chelation. In addition to their chemical reactivity, laboratory experiments with microbial cultures and enzymes indicate both indirect and direct roles for microorganisms in affecting polysulfide chemistry in natural environments through production and consumption. As polysulfides have been detected in a wide array of natural systems ranging from microbial mats to hydrothermal vents, constraining their biogeochemical cycling has broad impacts. However, many questions remain regarding the processes responsible for polysulfide dynamics in these environments and the precise role that microorganisms play in these processes. This review provides a summary of laboratory experiments investigating the role of polysulfides in microbial metabolism, and observations of polysulfides in the environment in order to provide further insight into and highlight open questions about this significant component of the sulfur cycle.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Quality Matters More Than Quantity: Asymmetric Temperature Effects on Crop Yield and Quality Grade (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-07-09
    Description: Climate change affects agriculture by altering not only output quantity, but also crop quality. We quantify the economic impacts of climate change on agriculture through changes in both quantity and quality, where quality is measured by crop grades. Our model controls for methodological issues regarding sample selection, aggregation, phenology, and nonlinearity. The empirical application to Japanese rice production indicates that temperature effects are asymmetric: quantity is especially vulnerable to cold, whereas quality is vulnerable to extremely high temperature. Using these results, we simulate the effect of global warming, and we find that warming (a 3 °C increase) increases farm revenues by improving yield but decreases revenues as a result of deteriorating quality. The net effect is negative, suggesting that quality matters more than quantity. The negative effect, however, can be mitigated by shifting cultivation periods and/or regions. Overall, our results suggest that the estimated impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies could be severely misleading unless quality is considered.
    Keywords: L15 - Information and Product Quality ; Standardization and Compatibility, Q10 - General, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    The Effect of Weather-Induced Internal Migration on Local Labor Markets. Evidence from Uganda (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-05-21
    Description: Relying on census data collected in 2002 and historical weather data for Uganda, we estimate the impact of weather-induced internal migration on the probability for non-migrants living in the destination regions to be employed. Consistent with the prediction of a simple theoretical model, our results reveal a larger negative impact than the one documented for developed countries. They further show that this negative impact is significantly stronger in Ugandan regions with lower road density and therefore less conducive to capital mobility: a 10 percentage points increase in the net in-migration rate in these areas decreases the probability of being employed of non-migrants by more than 10 percentage points.
    Keywords: E24 - Employment ; Unemployment ; Wages ; Intergenerational Income Distribution, J21 - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure, J61 - Geographic Labor Mobility ; Immigrant Workers, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, R23 - Regional Migration ; Regional Labor Markets ; Population
    Print ISSN: 0258-6770
    Electronic ISSN: 1564-698X
    Topics: Economics
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    Optimal Directions for Directional Distance Functions: An Exploration of Potential Reductions of Greenhouse Gases (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-04-18
    Description: This article explores the reduction potential of greenhouse gases for major pollution-emitting countries of the world using nonparametric productivity measurement methods and directional distance functions. In contrast to the existing literature, we apply optimization methods to endogenously determine optimal directions for the efficiency analysis. These directions represent the compromise of output enhancement and emissions reduction. The results show that for reasonable directions the adoption of best practices would lead to sizable emission reductions in a range of approximately 20% compared with current levels.
    Keywords: C14 - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods, D24 - Production ; Cost ; Capital and Total Factor Productivity ; Capacity, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Regulation of Natural Gas in the United States, Canada, and Europe: Prospects for a Low Carbon Fuel (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-01-29
    Description: The United States and Canada have seen a competitive and technological revolution in unconventional natural gas production in the 21 st Century—dramatically lowering the price of gas and displacing high-carbon coal with low-carbon gas for power generation. This gas revolution came from an earlier revolution in the regulation of gas pipelines, which ended the obstruction of gas markets by pipeline interests. Neither revolution has spread to Europe, where increasingly protectionist EU legislation has effectively blocked competitive pipeline entry and related gas markets. As a result, unconventional gas is untapped, coal displaces gas for power generation, and oil-linked gas prices have cost EU consumers a staggering $425 billion more than their US counterparts have paid since 2009 for about the same quantity of gas. Europe faces a serious institutional challenge to adopting the kind of pipeline regulation that facilitates the competitive flow of natural gas supplies and the accompanying lower carbon emissions. ( JEL : D23, K23, L14, L51, L95, N70, Q54)
    Keywords: D23 - Organizational Behavior ; Transaction Costs ; Property Rights, K23 - Regulated Industries and Administrative Law, L14 - Transactional Relationships ; Contracts and Reputation ; Networks, L51 - Economics of Regulation, L95 - Gas Utilities ; Pipelines ; Water Utilities, N70 - General, International, or Comparative, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    A Global Perspective on the Future of Natural Gas: Resources, Trade, and Climate Constraints (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-01-29
    Description: Natural gas plays an important role in the global energy system as an input to power generation, heating, and industry. This article identifies key drivers and uncertainties for natural gas markets in the coming decades. These include the availability of natural gas from conventional and unconventional sources, the role of international trade, and the impact of climate policies. We build on model-based research as well as an up-to-date survey of natural gas resource availability. We find that natural gas is an abundant fossil fuel and that the Asia-Pacific region will be most important in future global natural gas markets, especially under stringent international climate change mitigation. This means that an increasingly large share of future natural gas trade flows and infrastructure expansions will be directed to the Asia-Pacific region and that the role of liquefied natural gas will continue to increase globally. ( JEL : C61, L71, Q33, Q37, Q54)
    Keywords: C61 - Optimization Techniques ; Programming Models ; Dynamic Analysis, L71 - Mining, Extraction, and Refining: Hydrocarbon Fuels, Q33 - Resource Booms, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    Fiscal Responses after Catastrophes and the Enabling Role of Financial Development (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-01-29
    Description: Natural disasters may constitute a major shock to public finances and debt sustainability because of their impact on output and the need for government response with reconstruction and relief expenses. The question arises of whether governments can use financial development policy as the means to mitigate or insure against this negative fiscal impact. This paper uses a panel vector autoregressive model, estimated on annual data for high- and middle-income countries over 1975–2008, to study the role of debt market development and insurance penetration in enabling fiscal response after catastrophes. The authors find that countries with higher debt market development suffer smaller real consequences from disasters but that their deficits expand further following the mitigating fiscal response. Disasters in countries with high insurance penetration also experience smaller real consequences of disasters but without the need for further deficit expansions. From an ex-post perspective, the availability of insurance could offer the best mitigation approach against the real and fiscal consequences of disasters.
    Keywords: E32 - Business Fluctuations ; Cycles, H50 - General, H60 - General, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0258-6770
    Electronic ISSN: 1564-698X
    Topics: Economics
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    Distributional Implications of Climate Change in Rural India: A General Equilibrium Approach (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-07-10
    Description: We develop a general equilibrium framework, based on a specific-factors trade model, to quantify the medium-term household welfare impacts of global warming in rural India. Using an hedonic approach grounded in the theory combined with detailed microdata, we estimate that three decades of warming will reduce agricultural productivity in the range of 7%–13%, with the arid northwest of India especially hard hit. Our analysis shows that the proportional welfare cost of climate change is likely to be both modest and evenly distributed across percentiles of the per capita income distribution, but this latter conclusion emerges only when the flexibility of rural wages is taken into account.
    Keywords: Q17 - Agriculture in International Trade, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Alternative Metrics for Comparing Domestic Climate Change Mitigation Efforts and the Emerging International Climate Policy Architecture (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-02-03
    Description: The availability of practical mechanisms for comparing domestic efforts aimed at mitigating global climate change is important for the stability, equity, and efficiency of international climate agreements. We examine a variety of metrics that could be used to compare countries’ climate change mitigation efforts and illustrate their potential application to large developed and developing countries. Because there is no single, comprehensive, measurable metric that could be applied to all countries, we suggest using a set of indicators to characterize and compare mitigation effort, akin to using a set of economic statistics to indicate the health of the macroeconomy. Given the iterative pledge-and-review approach that is emerging in the current climate change negotiations, participation, commitment, and compliance could be enhanced if this set of indicators is able to show that all parties are doing their "fair share," both prospectively and retrospectively. The latter, in particular, highlights the need for a well-functioning policy surveillance regime. ( JEL : Q54, Q58, F55)
    Keywords: Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, Q58 - Government Policy, F55 - International Institutional Arrangements
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    The Economics of Wine, Weather, and Climate Change (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-02-03
    Description: In this article, we provide an overview of the extensive literature on the impact of weather and climate on grapes and wine, with the goal of identifying how climate change is likely to affect their production. We first discuss the physical impact of weather on vine phenology (i.e., the timing of biological events such as bud break or flowering), berry composition, and yields. Then we examine the economic literature that measures the effects of temperature on wine quality, prices, costs, and profits and, based on this review, infer how climate change will affect these variables. We also describe what has been learned thus far about possible adaptation strategies for grape growers that would allow them to mitigate the economic effects of climate change. We conclude that climate change is likely to produce both winners and losers, with the winners being those located closer to the North and South Poles. There are also likely to be some substantial short-run costs as growers adapt to climate change. Nevertheless, wine making has survived through thousands of years of recorded history, a history that has included significant climate changes. ( JEL : Q13, Q18, Q54)
    Keywords: Q13 - Agricultural Markets and Marketing ; Cooperatives ; Agribusiness, Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    The Impact of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme on Regulated Firms: What Is the Evidence after Ten Years? (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-02-03
    Description: This article reviews the recent literature on ex post evaluation of the impacts of the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) on regulated firms in the industrial and power sectors. We summarize the findings from original research papers concerning three broadly defined impacts: carbon dioxide emissions, economic performance and competitiveness, and innovation. We conclude by highlighting gaps in the current literature and suggesting priorities for future research on this landmark policy. ( JEL : Q52, Q54, Q58)
    Keywords: Q52 - Pollution Control Costs ; Distributional Effects ; Employment Effects, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, Q58 - Government Policy
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    The European Union Emissions Trading System: Ten Years and Counting (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-02-03
    Description: This article provides an introduction to the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS). First we describe the legislative development of the EU ETS, its evolution from free allocation to auctioning and centralized allocation rules, its relationship to the Kyoto Protocol and other trading systems, and its relationship to other EU climate and energy policies. This is followed by an assessment of the performance of the EU ETS, which focuses in particular on emissions, allowance prices, and the use of offsets. We conclude with a discussion of the current debate about the future of the EU ETS and proposals for changes to both the EU ETS and the climate policy environment in which it operates. ( JEL : Q54, Q58)
    Keywords: Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, Q58 - Government Policy
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    The Climate Change Adaptation Literature (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-02-03
    Description: The December 2015 Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings in Paris are likely to yield a global agreement that will slow the world’s growth of greenhouse gas emissions, but this agreement is unlikely to guarantee a decline in global emissions in the near future. Given this reality, climate change adaptation is an increasingly important topic for discussion and study. Although much research has focused on the macroeconomic relationship between economic growth and temperature at the national and/or annual level, microeconomic analysis also offers valuable insights. This Reflections discusses recent work on household and firm responses to three climate change challenges: increased summer heat, higher food prices, and increased natural disaster risk. ( JEL : Q54)
    Keywords: Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    Mercury resistance transposons in Bacilli strains from different geographical regions (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-02-20
    Description: A total of 65 spore-forming mercury-resistant bacteria were isolated from natural environments worldwide in order to understand the acquisition of additional genes by and dissemination of mercury resistance transposons across related Bacilli genera by horizontal gene movement. PCR amplification using a single primer complementary to the inverted repeat sequence of Tn MERI1 -like transposons showed that 12 of 65 isolates had a transposon-like structure. There were four types of amplified fragments: Tn 5084 , Tn 5085 , Tn d MER3 (a newly identified deleted transposon-like fragment) and Tn 6294 (a newly identified transposon). Tn d MER3 is a 3.5-kb sequence that carries a merRETPA operon with no merB or transposase genes. It is related to the mer operon of Bacillus licheniformis strain FA6-12 from Russia. DNA homology analysis shows that Tn 6294 is an 8.5-kb sequence that is possibly derived from Tn d MER3 by integration of a Tn MERI1 -type transposase and resolvase genes and in addition the merR2 and merB1 genes. Bacteria harboring Tn 6294 exhibited broad-spectrum mercury resistance to organomercurial compounds, although Tn 6294 had only merB1 and did not have the merB2 and merB3 sequences for organomercurial lyases found in Tn 5084 of B. cereus strain RC607. Strains with Tn 6294 encode mercuric reductase (MerA) of less than 600 amino acids in length with a single N-terminal mercury-binding domain, whereas MerA encoded by strains MB1 and RC607 has two tandem domains. Thus, Tn d MER3 and Tn 6294 are shorter prototypes for Tn MERI1 -like transposons. Identification of Tn 6294 in Bacillus sp. from Taiwan and in Paenibacillus sp. from Antarctica indicates the wide horizontal dissemination of Tn MERI1 -like transposons across bacterial species and geographical barriers.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Fungal denitrification: Bipolaris sorokiniana exclusively denitrifies inorganic nitrogen in the presence and absence of oxygen (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-02-07
    Description: Fungi may play an important role in the production of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Bipolaris sorokiniana is a ubiquitous saprobe found in soils worldwide, yet denitrification by this fungal strain has not previously been reported. We aimed to test if B. sorokiniana would produce N 2 O and CO 2 in the presence of organic and inorganic forms of nitrogen (N) under microaerobic and anaerobic conditions. Nitrogen source (organic-N, inorganic-N, no-N control) significantly affected N 2 O and CO 2 production both in the presence and absence of oxygen, which contrasts with bacterial denitrification. Inorganic N addition increased denitrification of N 2 O (from 0 to 0.3 μg N 2 0-N h –1  g –1 biomass) and reduced respiration of CO 2 (from 0.1 to 0.02 mg CO 2 h –1  g –1 biomass). Isotope analyses indicated that nitrite, rather than ammonium or glutamine, was transformed to N 2 O. Results suggest the source of N may play a larger role in fungal N 2 O production than oxygen status.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Permissiveness of freshly isolated environmental strains of amoebae for growth of Legionella pneumophila (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-02-20
    Description: Legionella pneumophila is a pathogenic bacterium commonly found in water and responsible for severe pneumonia. Free-living amoebae are protozoa also found in water, which feed on bacteria by phagocytosis. Under favorable conditions, some L. pneumophila are able to resist phagocytic digestion and even multiply within amoebae. However, it is not clear whether L. pneumophila could infect at a same rate a large range of amoebae or if there is some selectivity towards specific amoebal genera or strains. Also, most studies have been performed using collection strains and not with freshly isolated strains. In our study, we assess the permissiveness of freshly isolated environmental strains of amoebae, belonging to three common genera (i.e. Acanthamoeba, Naegleria and Vermamoeba ), for growth of L. pneumophila at three different temperatures. Our results indicated that all the tested strains of amoebae were permissive to L. pneumophila Lens and that there was no significant difference between the strains. Intracellular proliferation was more efficient at a temperature of 40°C. In conclusion, our work suggests that, under favorable conditions, virulent strains of L. pneumophila could equally infect a large number of isolates of common freshwater amoeba genera.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Endogenous farm-type selection, endogenous irrigation, and spatial effects in Ricardian models of climate change (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-02-20
    Description: In the estimation of Ricardian models the endogeneity of adaptation measures is typically ignored. In this article we propose a new estimation strategy that explicitly recognises the endogeneity of the farm type and irrigation to climate. Based on the latest census data on over 270,000 farms in Germany, we estimate a cross-sectional, spatial-IV model that decomposes the effects of climate on farm profitability into direct (unmediated) and indirect (mediated by the variables that reflect adaptation). Our results show that neglecting the endogenous nature of adaptation measures may substantially bias the magnitude of the total effect of climate on farm profitability.
    Keywords: C21 - Cross-Sectional Models ; Spatial Models ; Treatment Effect Models, C25 - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models, C36- Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation, Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy, Q51 - Valuation of Environmental Effects, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0165-1587
    Electronic ISSN: 1464-3618
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Responsiveness of Crop Yield and Acreage to Prices and Climate (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-12-13
    Description: We investigate the effect of crop price and climate variables on rainfed corn and soybean yields and acreage in the United States using a large panel dataset for the 1977–2007 period. Instrumental variables are used to control for endogeneity of prices in yield and acreage regressions, while allowing for spatially auto-correlated errors. We find that an increase in corn price has a statistically significant positive impact on corn yield, but the effect of soybean price on soybean yields is not statistically significant. The estimated price elasticities of corn yield and acreage are 0.23 and 0.45, respectively. Of the increase in corn supply caused by an increase in corn price, we find that 33.8% is due to price-induced yield enhancement and 66.2% is due to price-induced acreage expansion. We also find that the impact of climate change on corn production ranges from $-$ 7% to $-$ 41% and on soybean ranges from $-$ 8% to $-$ 45%, depending on the climate change scenarios, time horizon, and global climate models used to predict climate change. We show that the aggregate net impact of omitting price variables is an overestimation of the effect of climate change on corn yield by up to 9% and on soybean yield by up to 15%.
    Keywords: Q11 - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis ; Prices, Q15 - Land Ownership and Tenure ; Land Reform ; Land Use ; Irrigation, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Looking into the future of agriculture in a changing climate (2011)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2011-11-24
    Description: Looking into the future of agriculture raises three challenging questions: How can agriculture deal with an uncertain future? How do local vulnerabilities and global disparities respond to this uncertain future? How should we prioritise adaptation to overcome the resulting future risks? This paper analyses the broad question of how climate change science may provide some insights into these issues. The data provided for the analysis are the product of our new research on global impacts of climate change in agriculture. The questions are analysed across world regions to provide some thoughts on policy development.
    Keywords: N50 - General, International, or Comparative, Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0165-1587
    Electronic ISSN: 1464-3618
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Population, Poverty, and Climate Change (2014)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2014-01-22
    Description: This literature review focuses on the relationships between population, poverty, and climate change. Developed countries are largely responsible for global warming, but the brunt of the fallout will be borne by developing countries in forms such as lower agricultural output, poorer health, and more frequent natural disasters. Although carbon emissions per capita have leveled off in developed countries, they are projected to rise rapidly in developing countries because of economic growth and population growth. Unfortunately, the latter will rise most notably in the poorest countries, combining with climate change to slow poverty reduction. These countries have many incentives to lower fertility. Previous studies indicate that in high fertility settings, fertility decline facilitates economic growth and poverty reduction. It also reduces the pressure on livelihoods and frees resources that can be used to cope with climate change. Moreover, slowing population growth helps avert some of the projected global warming, which will benefit the poorest countries far more than it will benefit developed countries that lie at higher latitudes and/or have more resources to cope with climate change. Natural experiments indicate that family-planning programs are effective and highly pro-poor in their impact. While the rest of the world wrestles with the complexities of reducing emissions, the poorest countries will benefit from simple programs to lower fertility.
    Keywords: Q56 - Environment and Development ; Environment and Trade ; Sustainability ; Environmental Accounting ; , Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, J13 - Fertility ; Family Planning ; Child Care ; Children ; Youth, J18 - Public Policy
    Print ISSN: 0257-3032
    Electronic ISSN: 1564-6971
    Topics: Economics
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    Information Manipulation and Climate Agreements (2014)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2014-04-05
    Description: It appears that news media and some pro-environmental organizations have the tendency to accentuate or even exaggerate the damage caused by climate change. This article provides a rationale for this tendency by using a modified International Environmental Agreement (IEA) model with asymmetric information. We find that the information manipulation has an instrumental value, as it ex post induces more countries to participate in an IEA, which will eventually enhance global welfare. From the ex ante perspective, however, the impact that manipulating information has on the level of participation in an IEA and on welfare is ambiguous.
    Keywords: D82 - Asymmetric and Private Information, L82 - Entertainment ; Media, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Adaptation to climate change in Sub-Saharan agriculture: assessing the evidence and rethinking the drivers (2014)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2014-07-03
    Description: In this paper, after a review of the evolution of the literature on climate change economics in agriculture, I present some evidence of the impact of different moments of the distribution of rainfall on farmers risk aversion. It is found that while more rainfall is negatively associated with the probability of observing risk aversion, rainfall variability is positively correlated. This result highlights an important behavioural dimension of climatic factors.
    Keywords: Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, Q56 - Environment and Development ; Environment and Trade ; Sustainability ; Environmental Accounting
    Print ISSN: 0165-1587
    Electronic ISSN: 1464-3618
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Solid and liquid media for isolating and cultivating acidophilic and acid-tolerant sulfate-reducing bacteria (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-04-24
    Description: Growth media have been developed to facilitate the enrichment and isolation of acidophilic and acid-tolerant sulfate-reducing bacteria (aSRB) from environmental and industrial samples, and to allow their cultivation in vitro . The main features of the ‘standard’ solid and liquid devised media are as follows: (i) use of glycerol rather than an aliphatic acid as electron donor; (ii) inclusion of stoichiometric concentrations of zinc ions to both buffer pH and to convert potentially harmful hydrogen sulphide produced by the aSRB to insoluble zinc sulphide; (iii) inclusion of Acidocella aromatica (an heterotrophic acidophile that does not metabolize glycerol or yeast extract) in the gel underlayer of double layered (overlay) solid media, to remove acetic acid produced by aSRB that incompletely oxidize glycerol and also aliphatic acids (mostly pyruvic) released by acid hydrolysis of the gelling agent used (agarose). Colonies of aSRB are readily distinguished from those of other anaerobes due to their deposition and accumulation of metal sulphide precipitates. Data presented illustrate the effectiveness of the overlay solid media described for isolating aSRB from acidic anaerobic sediments and low pH sulfidogenic bioreactors.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    A rapid and sensitive colorimetric measurement of antibiotic efficacy against Escherichia coli in vitro (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-03-13
    Description: A common dye of prussian blue (PB) as an indicator was used to develop a colorimetric method for detecting the efficacy of the antibiotics in vitro. Considering the electronic production capacity of microbial respiration, ferricyanide was employed in transferring electrons from target microorganism of Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) to produce ferrocyanide. Subsequently, ferrocyanide reacted with ferric ions to form PB. In view of relationship between the PB yield and the bacterial activity, the efficacy of the antibiotics on E. coli was directly detected at 700 nm of PB absorption. When the 5% activity of antibiotics on 20 isolates of E. coli was quantified as 5% efficacy, the applied concentrations of eight antibiotics, such as cefepime, ceftriaxone sodium, cefoperazone sodium, piperacillin sodium, amoxicillin, gentamicin, amikacin and levofloxacin were 2, 2, 4, 4, 10, 4, 8 and 8 μg mL –1 , respectively. To compare with minimum inhibitory concentration results obtained by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute broth macrodilution method, the results of PB methods showed good agreements except with gentamicin. Paired t- test result ( P ) also showed that difference between two methods was statistically significant ( P = 0.006).
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Exposure of Metarhizium acridum mycelium to light induces tolerance to UV-B radiation (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-03-04
    Description: Metarhizium acridum is an entomopathogenic fungus commonly used as a bioinsecticide. The conidium is the fungal stage normally employed as field inoculum in biological control programs and must survive under field conditions such as high ultraviolet-B (UV-B) exposure. Light, which is an important stimulus for many fungi, has been shown to induce the production of M. robertsii conidia with increased stress tolerance. Here we show that a two-hour exposure to white or blue/UV-A light of fast-growing mycelium induces tolerance to subsequent UV-B irradiation. Red light, however, does not have the same effect. In addition, we established that this induction can take place with as little as 1 min of white-light exposure. This brief illumination scheme could be relevant in future studies of M. acridum photobiology and for the production of UV-B resistant mycelium used in mycelium-based formulations for biological control.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Photorhabdus luminescens LN2 requires rpoS for nematicidal activity and nematode development (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-03-04
    Description: Photorhabdus (Enterobacteriaceae) bacteria are pathogenic to insects and mutualistic with entomopathogenic Heterorhabditis nematodes . Photorhabdus luminescens subsp. akhurstii LN2, associated with Heterorhabditis indica LN2, shows nematicidal activity against H. bacteriophora H06 infective juveniles (IJs). In the present study, an rpoS mutant of P. luminescens LN2 was generated through allelic exchange to examine the effects of rpoS deletion on the nematicidal activity and nematode development. The results showed that P. luminescens LN2 required rpoS for nematicidal activity against H06 nematodes, normal IJ recovery and development of H. indica LN2, however, not for the bacterial colonization in LN2 and H06 IJs. This provides cues for further understanding the role of rpoS in the mutualistic association between entomopathogenic nematodes and their symbionts.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Diversity and distribution of catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase genes in surface sediments of the Bohai Sea (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-05-05
    Description: Catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase (C23O) is the key enzyme for aerobic aromatic degradation. Based on clone libraries and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we characterized diversity and distribution patterns of C23O genes in surface sediments of the Bohai Sea. The results showed that sediments of the Bohai Sea were dominated by genes related to C23O subfamily I.2.A. The samples from wastewater discharge area (DG) and aquaculture farm (KL) showed distinct composition of C23O genes when compared to the samples from Bohai Bay (BH), and total organic carbon was a crucial determinant accounted for the composition variation. C6BH12-38 and C2BH2-35 displayed the highest gene copies and highest ratios to the 16S rRNA genes in KL, and they might prefer biologically labile aromatic hydrocarbons via aquaculture inputs. Meanwhile, C7BH3-48 showed the highest gene copies and highest ratios to the 16S rRNA genes in DG, and this could be selective effect of organic loadings from wastewater discharge. An evident increase in C6BH12-38 and C7BH3-48 gene copies and reduction in diversity of C23O genes in DG and KL indicated composition perturbations of C23O genes and potential loss in functional redundancy. We suggest that ecological habitat and trophic specificity could shape the distribution of C23O genes in the Bohai Sea sediments.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Impact of pnpR, a LysR-type regulator-encoding gene, on the cellular processes of Pseudomonas putida DLL-E4 (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-05-20
    Description: LysR-type transcriptional regulators (LTTRs) regulate various cellular processes in bacteria. pnpR is an LTTR-encoding gene involved in the regulation of hydroquinone (HQ) degradation, and its effects on the cellular processes of Pseudomonas putida DLL-E4 were investigated at the physiological, biochemical and molecular levels. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed that pnpR positively regulated its own expression and that of the pnpC1C2DECX1X2 operon; additionally, pnpR partially regulated the expression of pnpA when P. putida was grown on para -nitrophenol (PNP) or HQ. Strains DLL-E4 and DLL- pnpR exhibited similar cellular morphologies and growth rates. Transcriptome analysis revealed that pnpR regulated the expression of genes in addition to those involved in PNP degradation. A total of 20 genes were upregulated and 19 genes were downregulated by at least 2-fold in strain DLL- pnpR relative to strain DLL-E4. Bioinformatic analysis revealed putative PnpR-binding sites located in the upstream regions of genes involved in PNP degradation, carbon catabolite repression and other cellular processes. The utilization of L-aspartic acid, L-histidine, L-pyroglutamic acid, L-serine, -aminobutyric acid, D,L-lactic acid, D-saccharic acid, succinic acid and L-alaninamide was increased at least 1.3-fold in strain DLL- pnpR as shown by BIOLOG assays, indicating that pnpR plays a potential negative regulation role in the utilization of carbon sources.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Dynamic Adjustment in US Agriculture under Climate Change (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-04-24
    Description: We construct a stochastic dynamic dual model to investigate the structural adjustment of two aggregate output and three aggregate input categories in US agriculture under stochastic climatic change. More than a century of national annual data (1910–2011) is used in the empirical analysis. No constraints on asset fixity are imposed. Results indicate that, with rational expectations, both output categories as well as all input categories exhibit quasi-fixity in response to market change and stochastic climate change. Crops adjust more than twice as fast as livestock—49% versus 20% of the way toward their long-run equilibrium in one year. Fertilizer adjusts most rapidly toward equilibrium levels (88% in one year), and capital adjusts most slowly (5% in one year). Labor oscillates rather than converging smoothly toward equilibrium; its distance from equilibrium is the same as if it adjusted 59% of the way toward its optimal level in one year. Failing to anticipate climate change dramatically slows the estimated rate of adjustment for two netputs and modestly speeds the rate for two others, thus likely increasing overall adjustment costs. Failing to account for uncertainty in anticipated climate change has little impact on adjustment rates.
    Keywords: Q11 - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis ; Prices, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Methanogen communities in a municipal landfill complex in China (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-04-20
    Description: Landfills are significant global sources of atmospheric methane, but little is known about the ecology and community structure of methanogens in these sites. Here, we investigated the methanogen community based on methyl coenzyme M reductase A gene amplicons in the vertical profiles of three different sites at a municipal landfill complex in China. Links between methanogen communities and refuse properties were explored using multivariate analysis. Clone library results showed that most clones (92%) were related to the hydrogenotrophic methanogens, Methanomicrobiales. Almost all of the Methanomicrobiales clones retrieved in this study are members of the genus Methanoculleus . Eight clones were affiliated with the genus Methanofollis . The remaining clones were clustered within the genus Methanosarcina . Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism profiles showed that the landfill was predominated by 22 taxa, making up 69%–96% of the community. Of these, a single taxon comprised 36%–65% of the communities across all sites and depths. Principal components analysis separated the methanogen community into three groups, irrespective of site or depth. Redundancy analysis suggested that total phosphorus and pH play roles in structuring methanogen communities in landfills.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
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    Topics: Biology
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    Agriculture Afforestation for Carbon Sequestration Under Carbon Markets in the United States: Leakage Behavior from Regional Allowance Programs (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-02-10
    Description: This study quantifies how leakage behavior from afforesting agricultural land affects the intensification of agricultural production. In particular, we examine the leakage percentage from carbon offset allowance at specific southern regions in the United States as a part of a carbon market. We use the Forest and Agriculture Sector Optimization Model-Greenhouse Gases model to examine responses between sectors as part of the regional afforestation policy analysis. Regional characteristics and a policy's time frame are found to play important roles in achieving net gains, in terms of greenhouse gases stored, from such regional policies. In some cases, however, leakage greater than 100% is evident.
    Keywords: Q23 - Forestry, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, R14 - Land Use Patterns
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    First description of 'Chalky back phenomenon in banana prawns (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis) and its possible association with Vibrio and Photobacterium species (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-02-12
    Description: Here we report a newly identified ‘Chalky back’ phenomenon in banana prawns ( Fenneropenaeus merguiensis ) farmed in North Queensland, Australia. This was characterized by localized white discoloured segmentation of the cervical groove, moreover, after cooking the prawns exploded, making them unfit for commercial sale. Histological examination revealed breakdown of gut and abdominal muscle tissue in some moribund specimens. We selectively isolated Vibrio spp., which are known prawn pathogens, from healthy and Chalky back specimens. Isolated bacteria were identified, typed and tested for the presence of eight virulence genes (VGs), biofilm formation, adherence and cytotoxicity to fish cells. In all, 32 isolates were recovered and identified as Vibrio harveyi , V. owensii , V. sinaloensis -like, V. campbellii , V. shilonii , Vibrio sp. and Photobacterium damselae using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. All V. harveyi carried VGs coding for haemolysin, tox R and flagella; formed biofilm; and adhered to both cell lines. This was similar to the V. sinaloensis -like strains that were only isolated from Chalky back specimens. Our data suggest that Vibrio spp. may play a role in the pathogenesis of Chalky back. This study is the first report of Chalky back phenomenon in farmed banana prawns that needs to be closely monitored by the industry.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
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    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    New Uses of Old Tools? Greenhouse Gas Mitigation with Agriculture Sector Policies (2013)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2013-11-22
    Description: Following the failure of legislative proposals for a multi-sector greenhouse gas (GHG) cap-and-trade policy, the shift in focus to energy sector policies ignores the perhaps substantial potential for GHG mitigation from agriculture/forestry. We review estimates of the current U.S. agriculture sector contribution to GHG mitigation from a portfolio of existing sector policies in bioenergy, conservation, and research and development to compare accomplishments across programs. We then consider what opportunities and challenges may exist for increasing sector GHG mitigation by retargeting and/or expanding current programs—or for bioenergy-related mitigation, implementing proposed new programs—to serve as an alternative to cap-and-trade.
    Keywords: Q16 - R&D ; Agricultural Technology ; Agricultural Extension Services, Q42 - Alternative Energy Sources, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, Q58 - Government Policy
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Cutting Carbon, Take Two: A Brief Guide to Federal Electricity-Sector Climate Policy without Cap-and-Trade (2013)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2013-11-22
    Description: This paper explores federal policies, other than a carbon price, for reducing emissions from the electric power sector. These policies fall into two major categories: policies that encourage the development of non- or low-emitting energy sources, and regulatory policies under existing legal authority (primarily the Clean Air Act). The paper provides an overview of policy options and a few concrete proposals, along with a summary of insights from economists on their advantages and disadvantages. Economists generally disfavor investment subsidies, but comparing other policy options, including regulatory approaches, technology mandates, and production subsidies, is complex. Excluding existing clean generation from incentive policies is tempting but can lead to perverse outcomes.
    Keywords: L94 - Electric Utilities, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Interspecific cooperation: enhanced growth, attachment and strain-specific distribution in biofilms through Azospirillum brasilense-Pseudomonas protegens co-cultivation (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-10-30
    Description: Plant-growth-promoting bacteria belonging to Azospirillum and Pseudomonas genera are major inhabitants of the rhizosphere. Both are increasingly commercialized as crops inoculants. Interspecific interaction in the rhizosphere is critical for inoculants aptness. The objective of this work was to evaluate Azospirillum and Pseudomonas interaction in mixed biofilms by co-cultivation of the model strains Azospirillum brasilense Sp245 and Pseudomonas protegens CHA0. The results revealed enhanced growth of both strains when co-cultured in static conditions. Moreover, Sp245 biofilm formed in plastic surfaces was increased 2-fold in the presence of CHA0. Confocal microscopy revealed highly structured mixed biofilms showing Sp245 mainly on the bottom and CHA0 towards the biofilm surface. In addition, A. brasilense biofilm was thicker and denser when co-cultured with P. protegens. In a colony–colony interaction assay, Sp245 changed nearby CHA0 producing small colony phenotype, which accounts for a diffusible metabolite mediator; though CHA0 spent medium did not affect Sp245 colony phenotype. Altogether, these results point to a cooperative interaction between A. brasilense Sp245 and P. protegens CHA0 in which both strains increase their static growth and produce structured mixed biofilms with a strain-specific distribution.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Rumen microbiota for wild boreal cervids living in the same habitat (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-10-26
    Description: Knowledge about the factors shaping the rumen microbiota in wild animals is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the microbiota from the three cervid species moose ( Alces alces , n = 5), red deer ( Cervus elaphus , n = 4) and roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus , n = 12), sharing the same habitat. Using deep 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we found that the largest species moose had the highest number of unique operational taxonomic units. Furthermore, red deer and moose shared more of the microbiota, compared with the smallest species, roe deer, with Firmicutes and Euryarchaeota being significantly overrepresented for the shared microbiota. These differences could not be explained by diet or range. The animals largely shared the same range, and there are no systematic differences in diet. We therefore believe rumen physiology can be one of the main contributing factors to the observed distribution of the rumen microbiota in cervid species.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    The transcriptional factor TtsI is involved in a negative regulation of swimming motility in Mesorhizobium loti MAFF303099 (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-10-12
    Description: Mesorhizobium loti MAFF303099 has a functional Type III secretion system (T3SS) that is involved in the determination of competitiveness for legume nodulation. Here we demonstrate that the transcriptional factor TtsI, which positively regulates T3SS genes expression, is involved in a negative regulation of M. loti swimming motility in soft-agar. Conditions that induce T3SS expression affect flagella production. The same conditions also affect promoter activity of M. loti visN gene, a homolog to the positive regulator of flagellar genes that has been described in other rhizobia. Defects in T3SS complex assembly at membranes limited the negative regulation of motility by the expression of TtsI.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Fire regime, not time-since-fire, affects soil fungal community diversity and composition in temperate grasslands (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-09-08
    Description: Frequent burning is commonly undertaken to maintain diversity in temperate grasslands of southern Australia. How burning affects below-ground fungal community diversity remains unknown. We show, using a fungal rDNA metabarcoding approach (Illumina MiSeq), that the fungal community composition was influenced by fire regime (frequency) but not time-since-fire. Fungal community composition was resilient to direct fire effects, most likely because grassland fires transfer little heat to the soil. Differences in the fungal community composition due to fire regime was likely due to associated changes that occur in vegetation with recurrent fire, via the break up of obligate symbiotic relationships. However, fire history only partially explains the observed dissimilarity in composition among the soil samples, suggesting a distinctiveness in composition in each grassland site. The importance of considering changes in soil microbe communities when managing vegetation with fire is highlighted.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Degradation and emission of carbonyl sulfide, an atmospheric trace gas, by fungi isolated from forest soil (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-09-11
    Description: Soil is thought to be important both as a source and a sink of carbonyl sulfide (COS) in the troposphere, but the mechanism affecting COS uptake, especially for fungi, remains uncertain. Fungal isolates that were collected randomly from forest soil showed COS-degrading ability at high frequencies: 38 out of 43 isolates grown on potato dextrose agar showed degradation of 30 ppmv COS within 24 h. Of these isolates, eight degraded 30 ppmv of COS to below the detection limit within 2 h. These isolates also showed an ability to degrade COS included in ambient air (around 500 pptv) and highly concentrated (12 500 ppmv) level, even though the latter is higher than the lethal level for mammals. COS-degrading activity was estimated by using ergosterol as a biomass index for fungi. Trichoderma sp. THIF08 had the highest COS-degrading activity of all the isolates. Interestingly, Umbelopsis/Mortierella spp. THIF09 and THIF13 were unable to degrade 30 ppmv COS within 24 h, and actually emitted COS during the cultivation in ambient air. These results indicate a fungal contribution to the flux of COS between the terrestrial and atmospheric environments.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    PCR-based detection of composite transposons and translocatable units from oral metagenomic DNA (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-09-17
    Description: A composite transposon is a mobile genetic element consisting of two insertion sequences (ISs) flanking a segment of cargo DNA often containing antibiotic resistance (AR) genes. Composite transposons can move as a discreet unit. There have been recently several reports on a novel mechanism of movement of an IS 26 -based composite transposon through the formation of a translocatable unit (TU), carrying the internal DNA segment of a composite transposon and one copy of a flanking IS. In this study, we determined the presence of composite transposons and TUs in human oral metagenomic DNA using PCR primers from common IS elements. Analysis of resulting amplicons showed four different IS 1216 composite transposons and one IS 257 composite transposon in our metagenomic sample. As our PCR strategy would also detect TUs, PCR was carried out to detect circular TUs predicted to originate from these composite transposons. We confirmed the presence of two novel TUs, one containing an experimentally proven antiseptic resistance gene and another containing a putative universal stress response protein (UspA) encoding gene. This is the first report of a PCR strategy to amplify the DNA segment on composite transposons and TUs in metagenomic DNA. This can be used to identify AR genes associated with a variety of mobile genetic elements from metagenomes.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Degradation of carbonyl sulfide by Actinomycetes and detection of clade D of {beta}-class carbonic anhydrase (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-10-12
    Description: Carbonyl sulfide (COS) is an atmospheric trace gas and one of the sources of stratospheric aerosol contributing to climate change. Although one of the major sinks of COS is soil, the distribution of COS degradation ability among bacteria remains unclear. Seventeen out of 20 named bacteria belonging to Actinomycetales had COS degradation activity at mole fractions of 30 parts per million by volume (ppmv) COS. Dietzia maris NBRC 15801 T and Mycobacterium sp. THI405 had the activity comparable to a chemolithoautotroph Thiobacillus thioparus THI115 that degrade COS by COS hydrolase for energy production. Among 12 bacteria manifesting rapid degradation at 30 ppmv COS, D. maris NBRC 15801 T and Streptomyces ambofaciens NBRC 12836 T degraded ambient COS (~500 parts per trillion by volume). Geodermatophilus obscurus NBRC 13315 T and Amycolatopsis orientalis NBRC 12806 T increased COS concentrations. Moreover, six of eight COS-degrading bacteria isolated from soils had partial nucleotide sequences similar to that of the gene encoding clade D of β-class carbonic anhydrase, which included COS hydrolase. These results indicate the potential importance of Actinomycetes in the role of soils as sinks of atmospheric COS.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Bacterial biodegradation of neonicotinoid pesticides in soil and water systems (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-12-23
    Description: Neonicotinoids are neurotoxic systemic insecticides used in plant protection worldwide. Unfortunately, application of neonicotinoids affects both beneficial and target insects indiscriminately. Being water soluble and persistent, these pesticides are capable of disrupting both food chains and biogeochemical cycles. This review focuses on the biodegradation of neonicotinoids in soil and water systems by the bacterial community. Several bacterial strains have been isolated and identified as capable of transforming neonicotinoids in the presence of an additional carbon source. Environmental parameters have been established for accelerated transformation in some of these strains. Studies have also indicated that enhanced biotransformation of these pesticides can be accomplished by mixed microbial populations under optimised environmental conditions. Substantial research into the identification of neonicotinoid-mineralising bacterial strains and identification of the genes and enzymes responsible for neonicotinoid degradation is still required to complete the understanding of microbial biodegradation pathways, and advance bioremediation efforts.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    New and highly active microbial phosphotriesterase sources (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-12-29
    Description: Many toxic insecticides used worldwide as well as some chemical warfare agents are phosphotriester derivatives. Therefore, detoxification of organophosphorus compounds has become the subject of many studies and in particular bioremediation, based on the phosphotriesterase catalysed hydrolysis of these compounds, has shown to be an effective and ecological methodology. In order to identify new bacterial phosphotriesterases, a simple and sensitive fluorimetric screening method on solid media was employed that allowed the selection of six strains with phosphotriesterase activity. Since pH and temperature are important parameters for bioremediation of contaminated soils and waters, the influence of these variables on the rate of the enzymatic hydrolysis was assessed. This study afforded notable results, being the most remarkable one the increased activity exhibited by Nocardia asteroides and Streptomyces setonii strains at 50°C, 7 and 30 times higher than at 30°C, respectively. Compared with the results obtained with Brevundimonas diminuta , whose activity is usually considered as reference, an increase of 26 and 75 times is observed, respectively.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    High-affinity phosphate-binding protein (PBP) for phosphorous recovery: proof of concept using recombinant Escherichia coli (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-10-30
    Description: Phosphorus (P) is a critical, non-renewable nutrient; yet excess discharges can lead to eutrophication and deterioration of water quality. Thus, P removal from water must be coupled with P recovery to achieve sustainable P management. P-specific proteins provide a novel, promising approach to recover P from water. Bacterial phosphate-binding proteins (PBPs) are able to effectively remove phosphate, achieving extremely low levels in water (i.e. 0.015 mg-P L –1 ). A prerequisite of using PBP for P recovery, however, is not only removal, but also controlled P release, which has not yet been reported. Phosphate release using recombinant PBP-expressing Escherichia coli was explored in this study. Escherichia coli was genetically modified to overexpress PBP in the periplasmic space. The impacts of ionic strength, temperature and pH on phosphate release were assessed. PBP-expressed E. coli demonstrated consistently superior ability to adsorb more phosphate from liquid and release more phosphate under controlled conditions relative to negative controls (unexpressed PBP E. coli and E. coli K12). Lower pH (3.8), higher temperature (35ºC) and higher ionic strength (100 mM KCl) facilitated increased phosphate release, providing a maximum of 2.1% P recovery within 3 h. This study provides proof of concept of the feasibility of using PBP to recover P.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Climate change and regulation of nitrogen loads under moral hazard (2014)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2014-03-07
    Description: Within the European Union, it is agreed that watershed-based management of water quality problems is more efficient than centralised arrangements. In this study, a mechanism for allocating international funds to watershed authorities for nitrogen abatement in the presence of moral hazard is investigated. The results show that when there is a risk of climate change, the cost of moral hazard to the international funding agency can be high if there is a moderate likelihood of climate change and the watershed authority is guaranteed a high minimum compensation.
    Keywords: Q53 - Air Pollution ; Water Pollution ; Noise ; Hazardous Waste ; Solid Waste ; Recycling, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, Q58 - Government Policy
    Print ISSN: 0165-1587
    Electronic ISSN: 1464-3618
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Potential Effects of Climate Change on the Productivity of U.S. Dairies (2014)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2014-07-23
    Description: In the United States, climate change is likely to increase average daily temperatures and the frequency of heat waves, which can reduce meat and milk production in animals. Methods that livestock producers use to mitigate thermal stress—including modifications to animal management or housing—tend to increase production costs. We use operation-level economic data coupled with finely-scaled climate data to estimate how the local thermal environment affects the technical efficiency of dairies across the United States. We then use this information to estimate the possible decline in milk production in 2030 resulting from climate change-induced heat stress under the simplifying assumptions that the production technology, location of production, and other factors are held constant. For four climate model scenarios, the results indicate modest heat-stress-related production declines by 2030, with the largest declines occurring in the southern states.
    Keywords: D24 - Production ; Cost ; Capital and Total Factor Productivity ; Capacity, Q12 - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Extreme Weather and Civil War: Does Drought Fuel Conflict in Somalia through Livestock Price Shocks? (2014)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2014-07-23
    Description: A growing body of evidence shows a causal relationship between extreme weather events and civil conflict incidence at the global level. We find that this causality is also valid for droughts and local violent conflicts in a within-country setting over a short time frame in the case of Somalia. We estimate that a one standard deviation increase in drought intensity and length raises the likelihood of conflict by 62%. We also find that drought affects conflict through livestock price changes, establishing livestock markets as the primary channel of transmission in Somalia.
    Keywords: D74 - Conflict ; Conflict Resolution ; Alliances, O12 - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development, Q11 - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis ; Prices, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    Solar Geoengineering's Brave New World: Thoughts on the Governance of an Unprecedented Technology (2014)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2014-07-23
    Description: Due to the failure of international efforts to limit atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, consideration is now being given to solar geoengineering—a deliberate intervention to limit global warming without altering the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. In contrast to emission cuts, geoengineering is expected to be cheap, quick to lower temperature, and feasible through the use of a single intervention. However, geoengineering is an imperfect substitute for emission reductions and will likely have undesirable side effects, only some of which can be anticipated before geoengineering is deployed. Most importantly, because geoengineering can be undertaken unilaterally, it creates issues of governance: Who gets to decide if, when, and how geoengineering should be attempted? This article provides an introduction to the key issues surrounding the governance of this unprecedented technology. ( JEL : Q54, F53, K33)
    Keywords: Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, F53 - International Agreements and Observance ; International Organizations, K33 - International Law
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    Climate Engineering: Economic Considerations and Research Challenges (2014)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2014-07-23
    Description: Climate engineering measures are designed to either reduce atmospheric carbon concentration (by growing trees or spreading iron in the ocean, for example) or directly influence the radiation reaching or leaving the earth (by injecting sulfur into the stratosphere or modifying cloud formations, for example) to compensate for greenhouse gas–induced warming. The former measures are termed carbon dioxide removal (CDR), which we characterize as a low-leverage causative approach, and the latter are termed radiation management (RM), which we characterize as a high-leverage symptomatic approach. There are similarities between CDR and emission control. Accordingly, benefit-cost analysis can be used to assess certain CDR measures. By contrast, high-leverage RM represents a genuinely new option in the climate change response portfolio, at first glance promising insurance against fat-tail climate change risks. However, the persistent intrinsic uncertainties of RM suggest that any cautious climate risk management approach should consider RM as a complement to (rather than a substitute for) emission control at best. Moreover, the complexity of the earth system imposes major limitations on the ability of research to reduce these uncertainties. Thus we argue that a research strategy is needed that focuses on increasing our basic understanding of the earth system and conducting comprehensive assessments of the risk(s) associated with both climate change and the deployment of climate engineering. ( JEL : Q52, Q54, Q55)
    Keywords: Q52 - Pollution Control Costs ; Distributional Effects ; Employment Effects, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming, Q55 - Technological Innovation
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    Climate Policy: Science, Economics, and Extremes (2014)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2014-07-23
    Description: Climate scientists, and natural scientists more generally, believe that climate change is a major, perhaps the most important, problem facing humankind this century, and that it is increasingly linked to extreme weather events. However, the impression one gets from much of the economic literature, particularly simulations from integrated assessment models used in policy analysis, is that the potential impacts of climate change are not large enough to warrant aggressive mitigation efforts in the near term. Although these models represent an important step in the needed interdisciplinary analysis of climate change by elucidating the links between climate and economy, we argue that they grossly underestimate potential impacts and associated damages because they (and the related policy analyses) fail to adequately capture extreme conditions, catastrophic events, and tipping points that trigger irreversible changes in the climate system, as well as impacts on the natural environment that cannot be monetized. Because the most severe impacts are expected in the later years of this century and beyond, discounting is crucial, and we argue that the appropriate rate is well below market rates. Moreover, we show that in the uniquely long period relevant to climate policy, the irreversibility of climate changes and impacts is more serious than the irreversibility of proposed mitigation measures. We conclude that an aggressive mitigation policy is warranted, one that holds further increases in global mean temperature to the scientific consensus on what is required to avoid the worst impacts, and that such a policy can be achieved at a cost that is well below potential damages. ( JEL : Q54)
    Keywords: Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    Reflections: Uncertainty and Decision Making in Climate Change Economics (2014)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2014-01-28
    Description: Uncertainty is intrinsic to climate change: we know that the climate is changing but not precisely how fast or in what ways. Nor do we understand fully the social and economic consequences of these changes or the options that will be available for reducing climate change. Furthermore, the uncertainty about these issues is not readily quantified in probabilistic terms: we are facing deep uncertainty rather than known risks. We argue that this may render the classical expected utility framework for decision making under uncertainty of limited value for informing climate policy. We review the sources of uncertainty about all aspects of climate change, separate these into scientific and socioeconomic components, and examine their relative importance. Then we review decision-making frameworks that may be more appropriate in the absence of unique probabilities including nonprobabilistic approaches and those based on multiple priors, and we discuss their application in the context of climate change economics. ( JEL : D81, Q54)
    Keywords: D81 - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 1750-6816
    Electronic ISSN: 1750-6824
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Political Science , Economics
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    Clostridium difficile environmental contamination within a clinical laundry facility in the USA (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-11-17
    Description: Clostridium difficile is both a hospital and community-acquired pathogen. The current study determined if C. difficile could be cultured from clinical laundry facility surfaces. A total of 240 surface samples were collected from dirty areas ( n = 120), which handle soiled clinical linens, and from clean areas ( n = 120), which process and fold the clean linens, within the University of Washington Consolidated Laundry facility in 2015. Sampling was done four times over the course of 1 year. The dirty area was significantly more contaminated than the clean area (21% vs 2%, P 〈 0.001). Clostridium difficile isolates were genetically characterized using multilocus sequence typing and PCR for the detection of genes encoding toxin A and toxin B. The MLST types 1, 2, 3, 15, 26, 34, 35, 39, 42, 43, 44, 53, 63 and 284 were identified and have previously been found in both clinical and community settings. Toxin positive isolates were identified in both the dirty ( n = 16/25) and clean areas ( n = 2/2). Seasonal variation was observed with 40% of the 27 isolates cultured in April 2015. The study suggests that soiled clinical linens may be a source of C. difficile surface contamination.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Evidence for polyploidy in the globally important diazotroph Trichodesmium (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-11-17
    Description: Polyploidy is a well-described trait in some prokaryotic organisms; however, it is unusual in marine microbes from oligotrophic environments, which typically display a tendency towards genome streamlining. The biogeochemically significant diazotrophic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium is a potential exception. With a relatively large genome and a comparatively high proportion of non-protein-coding DNA, Trichodesmium appears to allocate relatively more resources to genetic material than closely related organisms and microbes within the same environment. Through simultaneous analysis of gene abundance and direct cell counts, we show for the first time that Trichodesmium spp. can also be highly polyploid, containing as many as 100 genome copies per cell in field-collected samples and 〉600 copies per cell in laboratory cultures. These findings have implications for the widespread use of the abundance of the nifH gene (encoding a subunit of the N 2 -fixing enzyme nitrogenase) as an approach for quantifying the abundance and distribution of marine diazotrophs. Moreover, polyploidy may combine with the unusual genomic characteristics of this genus both in reflecting evolutionary dynamics and influencing phenotypic plasticity and ecological resilience.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
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    Rethinking the Water-Food-Climate Nexus and Conflict: An Opportunity Cost Approach (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-12-07
    Description: Much attention has been paid to the potential role that climate and food security has on conflict, especially in the Middle East. However, there has been little critical examination beyond the statistical correlation of events, which demonstrates whether a causal link exists and if it does, what can be done about it. This paper explores the conceptual linkages between food and conflict and attempts to draw attention to the opportunity cost of conflict as the nexus for decision-making in this context.
    Keywords: D74 - Conflict ; Conflict Resolution ; Alliances, Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
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    What Is the Social Value of Second Generation Biofuels? (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-12-07
    Description: What are second-generation (2G) biofuel technologies worth to global society? A dynamic, economic model is used to assess the impact that introducing 2G biofuels technology has on crops, livestock, biofuels, forestry, and environmental services, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Under baseline conditions, this amounts to $64 billion and is $84 billion under the optimistic technology case, suggesting that investing in 2G technology could be appropriate. Under greenhouse gas regulation, global valuation more than doubles to $139 and $174 billion, respectively. A flat energy price scenario eliminates the value of 2G technology to society.
    Keywords: Q15 - Land Ownership and Tenure ; Land Reform ; Land Use ; Irrigation, Q42 - Alternative Energy Sources, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    Comparative analysis of the survival and gene expression of pathogenic strains Vibrio harveyi after starvation (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-12-16
    Description: This study aimed to evaluate the survival and gene expression of Vibrio harveyi under starvation conditions. The microcosms V. harveyi were incubated in sterilized seawater for 4 weeks at room temperature. Overall, the cell numeration declined rapidly about 10 3 CFU/ml during starvation, with a tiny rebound at day 21. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that rod-shaped cells became sphere with a rippled cell surface. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, nine genes, named lux R, tox R, vhh B, fla A, top A, fur , rpo S, mre B and fts Z, were detected in the non-starved cells. In the starved cells, the expression levels of the detected genes declined substantially ranging from 0.005-fold to 0.028-fold compared to the non-starved cells performed by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR with 16S rRNA as the internal control. In the recovering cells, the expression levels of the detected genes, except lux R and mre B, were upregulated dramatically compared to the wild, especially top A (23.720-fold), fur (39.400-fold) and tox R (9.837-fold), validating that the expressions of both the metabolism and virulence genes were important for growth and survival of V. harveyi. The results may shed a new light on understanding of stress adaptation in bacteria.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    Alternate thermoregulation and functional binding of Escherichia coli type 1 fimbriae in environmental and animal isolates (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-12-16
    Description: Type 1 fimbriae (T1F) are well characterised cell surface organelles expressed by Escherichia coli and required for adherence to mannosylated host tissue. They satisfy molecular Koch's postulates as a virulence determinant and a host-adapted role has been reinforced by reports that T1F expression is repressed at submammalian temperatures. Analysis of a group of 136 environmental and animal E. coli isolates that express T1F at 37°C showed that 28% are also capable of expression at 20°C, in a phase variable manner. The heterogeneous proportions varied widely, and although growth temperature impacted the total proportion expressing T1F, there was no direct correlation between growth at 37°C and 20°C, indicative of differences in thermoregulation of the genetic switch ( fimS ) that controls phase variation. Specificities of the adhesin (FimH) also varied between the isolates: most bound to α-(1-3) mannan and yeast extracts as expected, but some recognised β-(1-4)-mannans and N -linked glycoproteins from plants, and T1F from two of the isolates mediated binding to plant roots. The results expand our view of a well-described adherence factor to show alternative expression profiles and adhesin specificities, which in turn may confer an advantage for certain isolates in alternative hosts and habitats.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    Quantifying in situ growth rate of a filamentous bacterial species in activated sludge using rRNA:rDNA ratio (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-12-16
    Description: If the in situ growth rate of filamentous bacteria in activated sludge can be quantified, researchers can more accurately assess the effect of operating conditions on the growth of filaments and improve the mathematical modeling of filamentous bulking. We developed a method to quantify the in situ specific growth rate of Sphaerotilus natans (a model filament) in activated sludge using the species-specific 16S rRNA:rDNA ratio. Primers targeting the 16S rRNA of S. natans were designed, and real-time PCR and RT-PCR were used to quantify DNA and RNA levels of S. natans , respectively. A positive linear relationship was found between the rRNA:rDNA ratio (from 440 to 4500) and the specific growth rate of S. natans (from 0.036 to 0.172 h –1 ) using chemostat experiments. The in situ growth rates of S. natans in activated sludge samples from three water reclamation facilities were quantified, illustrating how the approach can be applied in a complex environment such as activated sludge.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    The Value of Heterogeneous Property Rights and the Costs of Water Volatility (2017)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-01-05
    Description: The system of prior appropriation in the Western Unites States prioritizes property rights for water based on the establishment of beneficial use, creating a hierarchy where rights initiated first are more secure. I estimate the demand for security in water rights through their capitalization in agricultural property markets in the Yakima River Basin, a major watershed in Washington State. All water rights are satisfied in an average year, so the relative value of secure property rights is a function of water supply volatility and the costs of droughts are predominantly born by those with weak rights. In aggregate, security in water rights does not capitalize into property values at the irrigation district level; however, there is heterogeneity in the premium for secure water rights. The lack of a premium for district-level water security is robust to a variety of econometric methods to account for correlated district unobservables, and the null result produces an economically significant upper bound on the value to water security for the district. The ability for farmers to adapt to water supply volatility, as well as expectations about water markets and government infrastructure investment, are leading explanations for the lack of an aggregate premium. These explanations are supported by the pattern of heterogeneity in the water security premium.
    Keywords: Q15 - Land Ownership and Tenure ; Land Reform ; Land Use ; Irrigation, Q21 - Demand and Supply, Q24 - Land, Q25 - Water, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 0002-9092
    Electronic ISSN: 1467-8276
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    The excreted microbiota of bats: evidence of niche specialisation based on multiple body habitats (2017)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-01-13
    Description: Animal-associated microbiotas form complex communities, which play crucial functions for their host, including susceptibility to infections. Despite increasing attention to bats as reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens, their microbiota is poorly documented, especially for samples potentially implicated in pathogen transmission such as urine and saliva. Here, using low-biomass individual samples, we examined the composition and structure of bacterial communities excreted by insectivorous bats, focusing on three body habitats (saliva, urine and faeces). We show that niche specialisation occurs as bacterial community composition was distinct across body habitats with the majority of phylotypes being body habitat specific. Our results suggest that urine harbours more diverse bacterial communities than saliva and faeces and reveal potentially zoonotic bacteria such as Leptospira , Rickettsia , Bartonella and Coxiella in all body habitats. Our study emphasised that, in addition to the traditional use of gut-associated samples such as faeces, both urine and saliva are also of interest because of their diverse microbiota and the potential transmission of pathogenic bacteria. Our results represent a critical baseline for future studies investigating the interactions between microbiota and infection dynamics in bats.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    R-type bacteriocins in related strains of Xenorhabdus bovienii: Xenorhabdicin tail fiber modularity and contribution to competitiveness (2017)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-01-19
    Description: R-type bacteriocins are contractile phage tail-like structures that are bactericidal towards related bacterial species. The C-terminal region of the phage tail fiber protein determines target-binding specificity. The mutualistic bacteria Xenorhabdus nematophila and X. bovienii produce R-type bacteriocins (xenorhabdicins) that are selectively active against different Xenorhabdus species. We analyzed the P2-type remnant prophage clusters in draft sequences of nine strains of X. bovienii . The C-terminal tail fiber region in each of the respective strains was unique and consisted of mosaics of modular units. The region between the main tail fiber gene ( xbpH1 ) and the sheath gene ( xbpS1 ) contained a variable number of modules encoding tail fiber fragments. DNA inversion and module exchange between strains was involved in generating tail fiber diversity. Xenorhabdicin-enriched fractions from three different X. bovienii strains isolated from the same nematode species displayed distinct activities against each other. In one set of strains, the strain that produced highly active xenorhabdicin was able to eliminate a sensitive strain. In contrast, xenorhabdicin activity was not a determining factor in the competitive fitness of a second set of strains. These findings suggest that related strains of X. bovienii use xenorhabdicin and additional antagonistic molecules to compete against each other.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    Comparative analysis of MazEF and HicAB toxin-antitoxin systems of the cyanobacterium, Anabaena sp. PCC7120 (2017)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2017-01-19
    Description: Anabaena PCC7120 has two annotated toxin–antitoxin systems: MazEF and HicAB. Overexpression of either of the toxins severely inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli BL21(p lysS )(DE3). Of the two Anabaena toxins, MazF exhibited higher toxicity than HicA as evidenced by (i) 100-fold lower viability upon overexpression of MazF compared to HicA; (ii) complete loss of cell viability within 1 h of induction of MazF expression, as against 〉10 3 colony forming units mL –1 in case of HicA; (iii) inability to maintain the MazF overexpressing plasmid in E. coli cells; and (iv) neutralisation of the toxin was effective at the molar ratio of 1:1.9 for MazF:MazE and 13:1 for HicA:HicB, indicating higher antitoxin requirement for neutralisation of MazF. The growth inhibitory effect of MazF was found to be higher in lag phase cultures compared to mid-logarithmic phase cultures of E. coli , while the reverse was true for HicA. The results suggest possible distinct roles for MazEF and HicAB systems of Anabaena .
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    Optimized medium culture for Acidobacteria subdivision 1 strains (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-11-17
    Description: Members of subdivision 1 of the phylum Acidobacteria were grown at different pH values in a new medium formulation named PSYL 5, which includes sucrose as a carbon source and other compounds (such as KH 2 PO 4 and MgSO 4 .7H 2 O). Growth rate was nearly constant at pH 5.0 and declined at pH 3–4 and 6–7. However, it was found that effects involving good carbon/nitrogen ratios and pH on the growth of the members of Acidobacteria subdivision 1 were significant, and the strongest effect of these conditions was at pH 5.0. In addition, incubation time of 48, 72, 96 and 120 h was shorter than that described previously for members of Acidobacteria subdivision 1 on solid laboratory media.
    Keywords: Environmental Microbiology
    Print ISSN: 0378-1097
    Electronic ISSN: 1574-6968
    Topics: Biology
    Published by Oxford University Press
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