July 2010
Reduction of hexavalent chromium by Rhizopus oryzae
The ability of Rhizopus oryzae to reduce Cr6+ was evaluated in batch microcosms. The optimum pH of R. oryzae growth was between 6.0 and 7.0. The maximum chromium reduction efficiency of 91.15% and biomass growth was achieved at a pH of 7, temperature of 37°C, with an initial Cr6+ concentration of 400 ppm and incubation period of 72 h. Monod and Haldane models were used to...
July 2010
Dealing with reducing trends in forest ecosystem services through a vulnerability assessment and planned adaptation actions
Vulnerability of forest ecosystems in West Africa is likely to be aggravated with current and projected climate and human stresses with implications for adaptation and REDD regimes. This is because vulnerability of the forest ecosystems affects economic sectors and millions of people that depend on their services. This study investigated vulnerability of forest ecosystems through land use land...
July 2010
The challenges of rehabilitating denuded patches of a semi-arid environment in Kenya
Land degradation is a major problem in the semi-arid environments of Sub-Saharan Africa. Fighting land degradation is essential to ensure the sustainable and long-term productivity of the habited semi-arid lands. In Kenya, grass reseeding technology has been used to combat land degradation. However, despite the use of locally adapted perennial grass species namely Cenchrus ciliaris (African foxtail...
July 2010
Agrobiodiversity endangered by sugarcane farming in Mumias and Nzoia Sugarbelts of Western Kenya
Commercial sugarcane farming has been practised in western Kenya for nearly forty years. This monocultural land use is associated with loss of natural vegetation and cropland, thus undermining food security status of a place. Further, sugarcane farming is a major contributor to loss of biodiversity in western Kenya. This study was therefore aimed at determining the long-term effects of sugarcane farming on...
July 2010
Anomaly effects of arrays for 3d geoelectrical resistivity imaging using orthogonal or parallel 2d profiles
The effectiveness of using a net of orthogonal or parallel sets of two-dimensional (2D) profiles for three-dimensional (3D) geoelectrical resistivity imaging has been evaluated. A series of 2D apparent resistivity data were generated over two synthetic models which represent geological or environmental conditions for a typical weathered profile and waste dump site, respectively, commonly associated with...
July 2010
Delineating shallow ground water irrigated areas in the Atankwidi Watershed (Northern Ghana, Burkina Faso) using Quickbird 0.61 - 2.44 meter data
The major goal of this research was to delineate the shallow groundwater irrigated areas (SGI) in the Atankwidi Watershed in the Volta River Basin of West Africa. Shallow ground water irrigation is carried out using very small dug-wells all along the river banks or shallow dug-outs all along the river bed. Each of these dug-wells and dug-outs are highly fragmented small water bodies that irrigate only a...
July 2010
Evaluation of pulp and paper making characteristics of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)
Shortage of conventional raw material for the pulp and paper products together with the increasing world demand for paper has renewed interest in non-wood fibres. Non-wood pulping capacity has been increasing steadily over the last decade. A lot of crops grown for biomass, like switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), are good examples of plants with potential for pulp production. Raw material chemical...
July 2010
Mineral nutrient status, some quality and morphological characteristics changes in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars under salt stress
Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is considered to be one of the most important crops which thrive in newly reclaimed sandy soils as a leguminous crop of high nutritive value and a source of edible oil. Our study tested the effects of different salt levels on mineral nutrient partitioning (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, P and N) and some quality (dry weight and leaf relative water content) and...
July 2010
Spatial distribution of saline water and possible sources of intrusion into a tropical freshwater lagoon and the transitional effects on the lacustrine ichthyofaunal diversity
The spatial distribution of saline water and possible sources of intrusion into Lekki lagoon and transitional effects on the lacustrine ichthyofaunal characteristics were studied during March 2006 and February, 2008. The water quality analysis indicated that salinity has drastically increased recently in the lagoon (0.007 to 4.70%). This study has identified three possible sources for saline water intrusion,...
July 2010
Response of African oil bean (Pentaclethra Macrophylla Benth) seeds to soils contaminated with spent lubricating oil
This study evaluated the response (seedling emergence) of Pentaclethra macrophyllaseeds sown in soils contaminated with spent lubricating oil using 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8% w/w in Asaba, Delta State in 2009. The results showed that 100% of the seeds sown in the control germinated. Significant reductions (P ≥ 0.05) were however recorded in seeds planted in the soils treated with the spent lubricating oil. The...
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