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Suggested Citation:"Appendix 2: Supplemental Statements." National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. 1962. Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18451.
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Page 116
Suggested Citation:"Appendix 2: Supplemental Statements." National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. 1962. Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18451.
×
Page 117
Suggested Citation:"Appendix 2: Supplemental Statements." National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. 1962. Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18451.
×
Page 118
Suggested Citation:"Appendix 2: Supplemental Statements." National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. 1962. Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18451.
×
Page 119
Suggested Citation:"Appendix 2: Supplemental Statements." National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. 1962. Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18451.
×
Page 120
Suggested Citation:"Appendix 2: Supplemental Statements." National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. 1962. Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18451.
×
Page 121
Suggested Citation:"Appendix 2: Supplemental Statements." National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. 1962. Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18451.
×
Page 122
Suggested Citation:"Appendix 2: Supplemental Statements." National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. 1962. Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18451.
×
Page 123
Suggested Citation:"Appendix 2: Supplemental Statements." National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. 1962. Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18451.
×
Page 124
Suggested Citation:"Appendix 2: Supplemental Statements." National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council. 1962. Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18451.
×
Page 125

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APPENDIX 2 Supplemental Statements Supplement A. (Page 25, item 7, Product technology) *Food restructuring from isolated or partially refined CHO, A. A. -Prot. , lipids. This concept should enter into current re- search for long-range development. When we learn to convert lignin to CHO or other useful compounds, how can we use the product directly* Yeast and chlorella, as such, don't hold much promise for human food and their indirect use as animal food is inefficient. A possible answer is to make bland extracts and re- structure them into acceptable foods in such a way as cheese is made from milk, sausage from less attractive animal products. (R. L. Olson) Supplement B. (Page 35, Table 1) *Other sources have quoted divergent figures. Supplement C. (Page 35, Table 1) **Other sources have indicated a much higher figure. Supplement D. (Page 36, Table 2) POUNDS OF PROTEIN PRODUCED PER ACRE Soybeans 500 Castor Beans 360 Safflower 240 Corn 200 Wheat 200 Cottonseed 140 Beef 45 (J. A. Kneeland) -116-

Supplement E. (Page 6l, 62 and 63) In the field of industrial microbiology there is as yet no text on microbial propagations as a unit operation in the engineer- ing sense. Only a few universities have experts in this area. Further consideration of the basic bottlenecks in a typical micro- biological production process should lead to improvements in engineering efficiency, adaptation of more suitable microorganisms for industrial processes, and extension to a wider range of chemi- cal conversions. This is not to deprecate the tremendous advances made in industry, but the need for secrecy, for competitive dup- lication of effort, and for short-range objectives makes highly desirable an expansion of university work on basic problems in this area. Certain mutations or metabolic blocks cause particular enzymes to form five to ten per cent of the bacterial protein. This implies tailored enzymes at a production cost of as little as $2. 00 per pound. The possibilities in chemical conversions are obvious. It is conceivable that in the future organisms can be selected primarily for their propagation characteristics, and the desired products obtained by biological modification added subsequently, as for example by transfer of a required gene from a completely unrelated source. At present the desired property must be sought first, and the inherent disadvantages of the productive species put up with. Thus, lignin-transforming characters, largely restricted to slow-growing microorganisms, might be superimposed on a more suitable fast-growing organism. The advantages of thermophils for minimizing cooling costs and contamination problems may also be cited. At present, little work of this sort is done unless in connection with an immediate application. While necessary perhaps in industry, I think en- tirely too high a proportion of work in industrial microbiology in universities, experiment stations, and government labor- atories is directed toward unproductive so-called practical ap- plications, and too little toward a basic understanding. As a further example, we know entirely too little about microbiological ecology. There are tens of thousands of papers on lactic acid bacteria, but as yet no text is devoted solely to the genus Lactobacillus, and its natural biological role apart from applied areas such as milk products, dental caries, lactic acid manufacture, etc. For a long time now, this genus has had -117-

far more (though lopsided) attention from biochemists than from microbiologists. Briefly, far too much attention has been paid to micro- organisms in a short-range practical context and too little on a basic understanding of what they do and how they function. This emphasis may be changing, and one of the most important areas of change is molecular biology. There is no overemphasis here, though of course many other aspects of microbiology need strengthening. (J. C. Lewis) Supplement F. (Page 70, first complete paragraph) Conversion of surplus farm land to recreational uses. Except where appropriate for multiple-use forests this conver- sion is unattractive because it would tend to be irreversible. A population increase would require recapture of parks for agri- culture; the population pressure for the "new" traditional recreational needs would make such recapture impossible. In multiple-use forests, a cycle of recreation-forest growth-harvest- reforestation would allow continual recreation use with only temporary withdrawals that could be rotated. For the current excess of agricultural land two actions should be taken. (1) Slow down or discontinue for the time being all reclamation projects which will bring more land under cultivation. This does not necessarily preclude developments in which the result is more efficient production on land now under cultivation. (2) Encourage an increase in the animal- product portion of diet so that the caloric efficiency of our land will be reduced. As economic pressure through increased population builds up, an evolutionary conversion to products of higher caloric efficiency would come about without governmental direction. This could be abetted at that time by re-initiating reclamation projects held in abeyance. In two or more generations it will probably be possible to build better projects with less real cost using cheaper energy and better tools. Highways and urban expansion should be directed to lands that are not of high agricultural value — even at higher current -118-

cost. A statement of highly questionable truth passed, un- contested, in this report: "Ours is an economy of waste, that private enterprise cannot of its very nature take the long view. " It is not "the very nature" of private enterprise that encourages and rewards the quick take, wasteful though it be. The frag- mented viewpoint of governmental agencies (see pp. 123 and 141) and the continuously changing structure of taxes and governmental controls have forced on private enterprise a "bird in the hand" philosophy. For example, sugar beet growers abandon good rotation programs in order to maintain "history" of beet cropping at the irretrievable expense of building up nematode and root rot pathogen populations. Land tax increases in suburban areas are controlled by urban political interests forcing agriculture to abandon its land to the urban sprawl. Highway commissions and military installations usurp prime farming land by right of eminent domain with no long-range consideration, but im- mediate costs, as the principal guide lines. (R. L. Olson) Supplement G. (Page 77, last paragraph, point 3) Great need exists for publication not only in the pesticide area but also in the whole food-additive area. The public must be protected against harmful chemicals in foods, but they must also be protected against the fanatics who would prevent the public from enjoying the benefits of wider variety, better quality, and increased supply of foods by creating emotional prejudices in the public mind against the use of food additives. With re- spect to the problem of public education, the booklet, "Food Additives, What They Are and How They Are Used, " published by the Manufacturing Chemists' Association, Inc. , Library of Congress, Catalog Card Number 61-10194, is recommended. The report entitled "Report on Agricultural Chemicals and Recommendations For Public Policy, " prepared by the Special Committee on Public Policy Regarding Agricultural Chemicals appointed by Governor E. G. Brown of California, is also pertinent. ( F. DeEds) -119-

Supplement H. (Page 86) Continued improvements in the utilization of wood in structural, decorative, pulping, chemical modification and utili- zation, or special industrial uses will be required if wood is to remain competitive in established uses, or developing a sub- stantial role in new uses. In order to make these improvements, or to gain entirely new uses, we must have a better foundation upon which to base the applied studies. Scientific knowledge con- cerning the fine structure of wood cells and the chemical-physical forces which hold the cells together and which control their be- havior is currently inadequate. For example, complete knowledge of the middle lamella could lead the way to new methods of isolat- ing individual fibers, to better techniques for separation of lignin and cellulose, to means of reinforcing the bonds between cells, to techniques for preserving or stabilizing the product. In addition to this type of knowledge, we need to know the chemistry and the kinetics of the compounds in these cells and in the bonding material. Similar knowledge is needed on the readily derivable products from these natural products. For example, the chem- istry of levulinic acid, hydroxymethyl furfural, etc. Utilization research cannot stand alone, but must also be supported by forestry research which will permit the growing of the kinds of trees and in the quality most suited to the utilization under consideration. One of the limiting economic factors of our industry is the cost of harvesting. Our problems are substantially different from those in pumping crude oil from a well, or piping gas to a factory. Ultimately, there must be a good coordination of growth research, harvesting research and utilization research. Improvements in wood uniformity, penetrability, ratio of pri- mary components, growth rate, and the control of density would have a substantial influence on the type of utilization feasible and the cost of processing. (A. S. Gregory) Supplement I. (Page 84-87) 1. Evaluation of the future demand for wood and of that for wood's competitors, taking into account technological, economic, social and political factors: -120-

a. whole wood (lumber, plywood, etc.) b. fiber c. chemical raw material (Question: Is a company right in discontinuing wood-fiber research in favor of polymer research? As raw material for the chemical industry, how will wood compare with coal, oil, etc. ? What impact will lignin utilization have on the overall position of wood? What is the potential of wood as a general raw material for the chemical industry?) 2. Economic evaluation of hand use for the following: a. inventory of potential uses b. assignment of primary and other uses c. assignment of exclusive uses d. objective reduction of conflict e. designation for each resource of areas of No. 1, No. 2, and lower potentials 3. In view of (1) and (2), to what extent should presently "uneconomic" areas or units of forest land (in quantity or quality) be brought into and kept in production through subsidy at taxpayers' expense? a. to provide for national emergency b. to satisfy a changing economic situation (changing economic margin or '"critical" level) c. to meet social or political needs d. to protect other land values: e. g., erosion, flooding, wildlife, etc. Point (1) is particularly important and requires more than a one-shot approach. Proper answers will determine how much land is needed for forestry, the kind of land that will be economic for the purpose, the kind of material likely to be needed, the kind of forestry practice that can be afforded on each quality of land, the kinds of research most likely to be gainful, and so on. To me this is the place where a national council could render a real service in providing up-to-date facts and the very best opinions possible on what the future holds. The alternative of wait and see is not very satisfactory in forestry where we have to look decades ahead for returns from what we spend today. (G. S. Allen) -121-

Supplement J. Materials handling Energy budget (efficiency and capacity) Plants: (solar energy) Effective leaf area Inherent photosynthetic capacity Transpiration Soil-root hair interface Materials transport Protein synthesis Animals: Feed intake (appetite) Digestible energy Metabolizable energy Productive energy Heat increment Protein synthesis Fat metabolism Plane of nutrition re carcass composition, growth and reproduction Disease (plant and animal) Genetics of host-parasite relations Immunological and other defense mechanisms Metabolic pathways Ecology of disease (micro and macro) Population size and density Infections, metabolic diseases Neoplasms (avian leucoses) Zoonoses Ecosystems (open, closed or intermediate) Population dynamics Stress Competition Organization Parametric; non-parametric Limits on reproductive rate -122-

Germ plasm banks Plant - vegetative stocks, seed banks Animals - gene pools, semen and ova banks, genetic stocks Microorganisms Product quality Amylose Fat Erucio acid Protein Lignin Energy (carbohydrate) Physiology Molecular Cellular Organismal (special, general) (T. C. Byerly) Supplement K. More effort should be put into conversion of one resource into another using microorganisms to provide the metabolic machinery. The following known conversions require further investigation: 1. Hydrocarbons > carbohydrates (e.g., petroleum *-food) 2. Waste carbohydrates *-fats and proteins. 3. Sewage > utilizable organic products or food (Vernon Bryson) -123-

Supplement L. 1. Quality of research. Although ecology has made giant strides in the last 30 years, it is still not quite respectable in many universities. The chief problem therefore is the tendency, within departments of biology, to follow the current fashion, strongly encouraged by biophysicists and biochemists, and focus on the exciting problems of molecular and cellular biology. This is where the support falls and the principal appeal to young un- committed students comes from this direction. Too many ecologists are either enthusiastic but ill-trained "naturalists" of the older sort or disappointed social scientists who see the prob- lems but are even less well equipped to deal with them than the first group. 2. Kinds of research-reductionism. Procedurally, it is necessary to attack an ecological problem piecemeal, e. g. , by laboratory isolation of dominant autecologic factors or by statistical isolation of the "most important" environmental parameters. Though a necessary approach, it has caused many ecologists to lose patience and to forget the ultimate objective so that, in plant ecology in particular, the holistic view is some- thing to which one pays lip service while in fact one is doing physiology. The open nature of territorial vegetation as an ecosystem, and the semantic difficulties created but not solved by pioneer plant ecologists, have contributed also to the present near-sterility of community ecology; hardly any first-rate minds now seem to be entering the field. However, renewed interest in vegetation as such is being forced from several directions: (1) from soil science and agronomy; (2) from geochemistry, hydrology and meteorology; and (3) from animal ecology, ex- pecially population biology (including genetics), and these various demands may soon produce a new supply of plant ecologists. Until they do we shall continue to have botanists who are unin- terested in the output of plant-transpired chemicals to the atmos- phere, for example, or foresters who can estimate the number of board feet per square mile to within five per cent but who neither know nor care whether a deciduous or a coniferous forest pro- duces more protein available to animals, or liberates more trace metals from rock in a given time. These may be trivial or even imaginary problems, but they illustrate the interrelatedness of ecosystems, which demands (and is getting, especially perhaps from geochemists) a holistic view that transcends biology. -124-

3. Undisturbed vs. disturbed ecosystems. For a variety of reasons, some economically obvious, other intangible or problematical (like the relation of privacy to public mental health), some areas of wilderness must be preserved inviolate, as our ancestors handed them to us. Not the least important of these reasons is the archival function relatively undisturbed areas must perform for ecological research of the broadest sort im- aginable--including, for example, the relation of snowshoe hare population cycles to human cardiac disorders. But no part of the earth's surface has been wholly free of disturbance since the Neolithic, and it is futile to bemoan this increasingly obvious fact. Research on ecosystems can take much fuller advantage than it has of the spectrum of degrees of disturbance history has pro- vided for us; disturbance is an ecologic parameter like any other, and just as easily handled by the comparative method. As an amusing example, lakes in cultivated regions have been polluted in a variety of ways, e. g. , by N and P fertilization by excreta, or S04 pollution from (NH4)2 SO^ fertilizers. In the last 50 years (i. e. , since good limnologic data became avail- able) this process has been measurably accelerated. But in some of the lakes where this is known, a still more recent trend (leakage of pesticides) is beginning to reverse this process, and one suspects that in other lakes the Pb from speedboats is about to correct, or over-correct, the euthrophination that began when the first cottagers came. Study of such changes is no less valu- able or interesting than research in less disturbed situations. The idea is: "If you can't beat them, join them. " (E. S. Deevey) Supplement M. 1. Lignin. A persistent basic study of the various lignins, perhaps supported but not conducted by the lumber and paper people. Such a study would be difficult, time consuming and baffling, but the direct approach by industry has failed. The goal is great and twofold: (1) utilization of about 30 per cent of the tree, now wasted; and (2) removal of the biggest source of pollution of many of our northern rivers. 2. A study of tropical forests and the soils covered by them. This would be many-faceted and tropics-wide in scope. Utilization of this now useless resource would be an ultimate goal. An initial survey and a few spot experiments should not be beyond the means of UNESCO with the cooperation of the nations directly involved. (S. T. Pike) -125-

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Renewable Resources: A Report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council Get This Book
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The area of concern of the study on renewable natural resources was the total range of living organisms providing man with food, fibers, drugs, etc., for his needs, but also including hazards to his health and welfare. Renewable Resources declares no detailed problem bearing on renewable natural resources seems at present in critical need of remedial program research, and the detection and accommodation of future specific research needs should be made the concern of a separate agency to keep the field under continuous surveillance.

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