The biodiversity-productivity relationship (BPR) is foundational to our understanding of the global extinction crisis and its impacts on ecosystem functioning. Understanding BPR is critical for the accurate valuation and effective conservation of biodiversity. Using ground-sourced data from 777,126 permanent plots, spanning 44 countries and most terrestrial biomes, we reveal a globally consistent positive concave-down BPR, showing that continued biodiversity loss would result in an accelerating decline in forest productivity worldwide. The value of biodiversity in maintaining commercial forest productivity alone—US$166 billion to 490 billion per year according to our estimation—is more than twice what it would cost to implement effective global conservation. This highlights the need for a worldwide reassessment of biodiversity values, forest management strategies, and conservation priorities. (Résumé d'auteur
In this study, the distribution of steroid hormones, phytoestrogens,
and estrogenic activity was thoroughly characterized within the anaerobic
waste lagoon of a typical commercial swine sow operation. Three independent
rounds of sampling were conducted in June 2009, April 2010, and February
2011. Thirty-seven analytes in lagoon slurry and sludge were assessed
using LC/MS-MS, and yeast estrogen screen was used to determine estrogenic
activity. Of the hormone analytes, steroidal estrogens were more abundant
than androgens or progesterone, with estrone being the predominant
estrogen species. Conjugated hormones were detected only at low levels.
The isoflavone metabolite equol was by far the predominant phytoestrogen
species, with daidzein, genistein, formononetin, and coumestrol present
at lower levels. Phytoestrogens were often more abundant than steroidal
estrogens, but contributed minimally toward total estrogenic activity.
Analytes were significantly elevated in the solid phases of the lagoon;
although low observed log KOC values suggest
enhanced solubility in the aqueous phase, perhaps due to dissolved
or colloidal organic carbon. The association with the solid phase,
as well as recalcitrance of analytes to anaerobic degradation, results
in a markedly elevated load of analytes and estrogenic activity within
lagoon sludge. Overall, findings emphasize the importance of adsorption
and transformation processes in governing the fate of these compounds
in lagoon waste, which is ultimately used for broadcast application
as a fertilizer.
The inflow, transformation, and attenuation of natural steroid hormones, phytoestrogens, and estrogenic activity was assessed across the lagoon/sprayfield system of a prototypical commercial swine sow operation. Free and conjugated steroid hormones (estrogens, androgens, and progesterone) were detected in urine and feces of sows across reproductive stages, with progesterone being the most abundant steroid hormone. Excreta also contained phytoestrogens indicative of a soy-based diet; particularly daidzein, genistein, and equol. During storage in barn pits and the anaerobic lagoon, conjugated hormones dissipated, and androgens and progesterone were attenuated. Estrone and equol persisted along the waste disposal route. Following application of lagoon slurry to agricultural soils, all analytes exhibited attenuation within 2 days. However, analytes including estrone, androstenedione, progesterone, and equol remained detectable in soil at two months post-application. Estrogenic activity in the yeast estrogen screen and T47D-KBluc in vitro bioassays generally tracked well with analyte concentrations. Estrone found to be the greatest contributor to estrogenic activity across all sample types. This investigation encompasses the most comprehensive suite of natural hormone and phytoestrogen analytes examined to date across a lagoon/sprayfield system, and provides global insight into the fate of these analytes in this widely used waste management system.
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