Animal Manure


Book Description

The majority of meat, milk, and eggs consumed in the United States are produced in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO). With concentrated animal operations, in turn comes concentrated manure accumulation, which can pose a threat of contamination of air, soil, and water if improperly managed. Animal Manure: Production, Characteristics, Environmental Concerns, and Management navigates these important environmental concerns while detailing opportunities for environmentally and economically beneficial utilization.




Phosphorus Loss from Soil to Water


Book Description

Eutrophication, caused by phosphorus enrichment, is not a new environmental problem. The persistence of eutrophication in an era when many point-source phosphorus inputs have been curtailed has turned the focus of attention to agricultural phosphorus. A workshop was held in Ireland in 1995 to discuss factors controlling phosphorus losses to water from agriculture. This book presents the proceedings of the workshop and consists of 18 chapters by the invited speakers and three chapters with the 45 poster papers displayed at the workshop.
















Environmental ScienceBites


Book Description

This book was written by undergraduate students at The Ohio State University (OSU) who were enrolled in the class Introduction to Environmental Science. The chapters describe some of Earth's major environmental challenges and discuss ways that humans are using cutting-edge science and engineering to provide sustainable solutions to these problems. Topics are as diverse as the students, who represent virtually every department, school and college at OSU. The environmental issue that is described in each chapter is particularly important to the author, who hopes that their story will serve as inspiration to protect Earth for all life.




Clean Coastal Waters


Book Description

Environmental problems in coastal ecosystems can sometimes be attributed to excess nutrients flowing from upstream watersheds into estuarine settings. This nutrient over-enrichment can result in toxic algal blooms, shellfish poisoning, coral reef destruction, and other harmful outcomes. All U.S. coasts show signs of nutrient over-enrichment, and scientists predict worsening problems in the years ahead. Clean Coastal Waters explains technical aspects of nutrient over-enrichment and proposes both immediate local action by coastal managers and a longer-term national strategy incorporating policy design, classification of affected sites, law and regulation, coordination, and communication. Highlighting the Gulf of Mexico's "Dead Zone," the Pfiesteria outbreak in a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, and other cases, the book explains how nutrients work in the environment, why nitrogen is important, how enrichment turns into over-enrichment, and why some environments are especially susceptible. Economic as well as ecological impacts are examined. In addressing abatement strategies, the committee discusses the importance of monitoring sites, developing useful models of over-enrichment, and setting water quality goals. The book also reviews voluntary programs, mandatory controls, tax incentives, and other policy options for reducing the flow of nutrients from agricultural operations and other sources.




Soil and Water Quality


Book Description

How can the United States meet demands for agricultural production while solving the broader range of environmental problems attributed to farming practices? National policymakers who try to answer this question confront difficult trade-offs. This book offers four specific strategies that can serve as the basis for a national policy to protect soil and water quality while maintaining U.S. agricultural productivity and competitiveness. Timely and comprehensive, the volume has important implications for the Clean Air Act and the 1995 farm bill. Advocating a systems approach, the committee recommends specific farm practices and new approaches to prevention of soil degradation and water pollution for environmental agencies. The volume details methods of evaluating soil management systems and offers a wealth of information on improved management of nitrogen, phosphorus, manure, pesticides, sediments, salt, and trace elements. Landscape analysis of nonpoint source pollution is also detailed. Drawing together research findings, survey results, and case examples, the volume will be of interest to federal, state, and local policymakers; state and local environmental and agricultural officials and other environmental and agricultural specialists; scientists involved in soil and water issues; researchers; and agricultural producers.




Soils and Environmental Quality


Book Description

Aperpetual bestseller, this third edition remains the obvious choice for those instructors who strive to make their teaching applicable to contemporary issues. The three authors, all teaching professors distinguished in soil science, have updated this student favorite to include a greater number of even more relevant topics. Responding to requests, they have also placed an increased emphasis on management issues. As with previous editions, the third edition offers students in soil or environmental science an overview of soil science, hydrology, atmospheric chemistry, and pollutant classification. The text moves from the theoretical to the practical with an abundance of contemporary examples, such as an exploration of allowable pesticide concentrations in drinking water and an inquiry into soil contamination from the trace elements in organic by-products. Also considered are the use of soil carbon sequestration as a remedy for global climate change, and the effects of acid precipitation on forestation. NEW TO THE THIRD EDITION: · New chapters on nutrient management planning, and the environmental testing of soil, plants, water, and air · Additional and revised case studies that continue to relate academic content to real-life situations, while inspiring students with real –life challenges to solve · Eight-page color inset · Direct encouragement and links to fully access the Internet as a resource for the most up-to-date findings Always Relevant, Always Interesting The text also covers environmentally-related current events, fostering discussion of the political, economic, and regulatory aspects of environmental issues, the human side of environmental problems, the use and misuse of the scientific method, and potential bias in the presentation of facts. Students in soil science, environmental science, chemistry, biology, geology, and other disciplines will gain valuable insight from this multifaceted text.