Collaborative environmental planning in river management: an application of multicriteria decision analysis in the White River Watershed in Vermont

Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) provides a well-established family of decision tools to aid stakeholder groups in arriving at collective decisions. MCDA can also function as a framework for the social learning process, serving as an educational aid in decision problems characterized by a high level of public participation. In this paper, the framework and results of a structured decision process using the outranking MCDA methodology preference ranking organization method of enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) are presented. PROMETHEE is used to frame multi-stakeholder discussions of river management alternatives for the Upper White River of Central Vermont, in the northeastern United States. Stakeholders met over 10 months to create a shared vision of an ideal river and its services to communities, develop a list of criteria by which to evaluate river management alternatives, and elicit preferences to rank and compare individual and group preferences. The MCDA procedure helped to frame a group process that made stakeholder preferences explicit and substantive discussions about long-term river management possible.     

Vulnerability of Rehabilitated Agricultural Production Systems to Invasion by Nontarget Plant Species

Vast areas of arable land have been retired from crop production and “rehabilitated” to improved system states through landowner incentive programs in the United States (e.g., Conservation and Wetland Reserve Programs), as well as Europe (i.e., Agri-Environment Schemes). Our review of studies conducted on invasion of rehabilitated agricultural production systems by nontarget species elucidates several factors that may increase the vulnerability of these systems to invasion. These systems often exist in highly fragmented and agriculturally dominated landscapes, where propagule sources of target species for colonization may be limited, and are established under conditions where legacies of past disturbance persist and prevent target species from persisting. Furthermore, rehabilitation approaches often do not include or successfully attain all target species or historical ecological processes (e.g., hydrology, grazing, and/or fire cycles) key to resisting invasion. Uncertainty surrounds ways in which nontarget species may compromise long term goals of improving biodiversity and ecosystem services through rehabilitation efforts on former agricultural production lands. This review demonstrates that more studies are needed on the extent and ecological impacts of nontarget species as related to the goals of rehabilitation efforts to secure current and future environmental benefits arising from this widespread conservation practice.     

System Dynamics to Sustainable Water Resources Management in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer Under Water Supply Uncertainty1

Abstract: Water supply uncertainty continues to threaten the reliability of regional water resources in the western United States. Climate variability and water dispute potentials induce water managers to develop proactive adaptive management strategies to mitigate future hydroclimate impacts. The Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer in the state of Idaho is also facing these challenges in the sense that population growth and economic development strongly depend on reliable water resources from underground storage. Drought and subsequent water conflict often drive scientific research and political agendas because water resources availability and aquifer management for a sustainable rural economy are of great interest. In this study, a system dynamics approach is applied to address dynamically complex problems with management of the aquifer and associated surface‐water and groundwater interactions. Recharge and discharge dynamics within the aquifer system are coded in an environmental modeling framework to identify long‐term behavior of aquifer responses to uncertain future hydrological variability. The research shows that the system dynamics approach is a promising modeling tool to develop sustainable water resources planning and management in a collaborative decision‐making framework and also to provide useful insights and alternative opportunities for operational management, policy support, and participatory strategic planning to mitigate future hydroclimate impacts in human dimensions.     

The backward incidence of pollution control—some comparative statics in general equilibrium

The backward incidence of stronger pollution controls onto the factors of production is examined in a two sector (one polluting, one not), general equilibrium model. The real returns to labor and capital are found to move in opposite directions that depend on the factor intensity of the nonpolluting sector. The magnitudes of these effects are shown dependent upon the degree of factor intensity in that sector, the ease with which pollution can be removed from the effluent, the ease with which capital and labor can be substituted in either sector, and the price elasticities of demand for the sectors' products.     

A Critique of the Recovery of Greenback Cutthroat Trout

Abstract: There are no examples of recovery of fish listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, but the number of federally threatened greenback cutthroat trout (  Oncorhynchus clarki stomias ) populations is approaching the delisting goal. We evaluated recovery of this subspecies in light of developing theory in conservation biology and with regard to recovery of other salmonids in the inland western United States. Four of the five criteria used to define populations that would count toward delisting appeared to underestimate the risk of extinction of those populations. Typically, recovery goals for numbers of greenback cutthroat trout populations were less stringent than those for other inland salmonids petitioned for listing or listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and were comparable to those for a federally endangered species. Before delisting is considered, we propose that historical populations be replicated in additional waters to protect genetic diversity and that existing populations be enlarged to reduce their vulnerability to demographic variation, to increase their access to refugia, and to permit reestablishment of mobile life histories. Existing stocks should also be evaluated to determine whether they represent distinct population segments.     

Hydrogen peroxide stabilization in one-dimensional flow columns

Rapid hydrogen peroxide decomposition is the primary limitation of catalyzed H(2)O(2) propagations in situ chemical oxidation (CHP ISCO) remediation of the subsurface. Two stabilizers of hydrogen peroxide, citrate and phytate, were investigated for their effectiveness in one-dimensional columns of iron oxide-coated and manganese oxide-coated sand. Hydrogen peroxide (5%) with and without 25 mM citrate or phytate was applied to the columns and samples were collected at 8 ports spaced 13 cm apart. Citrate was not an effective stabilizer for hydrogen peroxide in iron-coated sand; however, phytate was highly effective, increasing hydrogen peroxide residuals two orders of magnitude over unstabilized hydrogen peroxide. Both citrate and phytate were effective stabilizers for manganese-coated sand, increasing hydrogen peroxide residuals by four-fold over unstabilized hydrogen peroxide. Phytate and citrate did not degrade and were not retarded in the sand columns; furthermore, the addition of the stabilizers increased column flow rates relative to unstabilized columns. These results demonstrate that citrate and phytate are effective stabilizers of hydrogen peroxide under the dynamic conditions of one-dimensional columns, and suggest that citrate and phytate can be added to hydrogen peroxide before injection to the subsurface as an effective means for increasing the radius of influence of CHP ISCO.     

Transport of copper as affected by titania nanoparticles in soil columns

The effects of TiO₂ nanoparticles on the transport of Cu through four different soil columns were studied. For two soils (HB and DX), TiO₂ nanoparticles acted as a Cu carrier and facilitated the transport of Cu. For a third soil (BJ) TiO₂ nanoparticles also facilitated Cu transport but to a much lesser degree, but for a fourth soil (HLJ) TiO₂ nanoparticles retarded the transport of Cu. Linear correlation analysis indicated that soil properties rather than sorption capacities for Cu primary governed whether TiO₂ nanoparticles-facilitated Cu transport. The TiO₂-associated Cu of outflow in the Cu-contaminated soil columns was significantly positively correlated with soil pH and negatively correlated with CEC and DOC. During passage through the soil columns 46.6-99.9% of Cu initially adsorbed onto TiO₂ could be “stripped” from nanoparticles depending on soil, where Cu desorption from TiO₂ nanoparticles increased with decreasing flow velocity and soil pH.