FORESTED WETLANDS IN EASTERN CONNECTICUT: THEIR TRANSITION ZONES AND DELINEATION1

ABSTRACT: The delineation of inland wetlands requires close field examination of the biological and physical gradients (transition zones) between wetlands and bordering uplands. As part of a study on the detection and delineation of inland wetlands in eastern Connecticut by remote sensing techniques, this effort was designed to investigate vegetation distribution and composition and selected physical and chemical properties of the soils of wetland to upland transition zones in deciduous wetland forests. Field research was conducted during the growing season of 1975 within a test area consisting of the 45 mi² Town of Mansfield, Connecticut. Changes in vegetation composition and structure, soil pH, and soil water content were determined along line transects extended over wetland to upland transition zones. Differences in soil pH occurred along the transects but were of such magnitude that they probably have little impact on plant distribution. There were significant changes in soil water content along the wetland to upland gradients. Discriminant analysis applied to statistical “index of abundance” data describing vegetation distribution among the various zones (wetland, transition, upland) showed which plant species best distinguish wetlands from uplands. Of the criteria studied, vegetation composition and distribution, soil water content, and relief are the most useful criteria for delineating deciduous wetland forests.     

WASTE WATER DISPOSAL THROUGH A COASTAL AQUIFER1

ABSTRACT: Feasibility of disposing treated sewage in wells sunk into a partially confined coastal limestone aquifer at Waimanalo in the island of Oahu was investigated using an electric analog model. Electric analog modeling was preferred over digital modeling because of ease with which tides could be generated at the ocean boundary in the form of sinusoidal waves. The results of model operation showed that high permeability, low storativity, and the presence of ocean render the Waimanalo aquifer highly suitable for the disposal of waste water in deep wells. Since the quality of water in the aquifer is already unsuitable for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, waste water injection will not result in any loss of fresh water supply source to the island. It is also believed that the cost of waste water disposal through the aquifer will be considerably less than that through an ocean outfall. During model development it was discovered that electric analog models can help prepare certain graphs which can be useful for aquifer analysis without any further use of the model.     

Risk assessment and binding mechanisms of potentially toxic metals in sediments from different water levels in a coastal wetland

The excessive accumulation of potentially toxic metals (Pb and Cd) in coastal wetlands is among the main factors threatening wetland ecosystems. However, the effects of water table depth (WTD) on the risk and binding mechanisms of potentially toxic metals in sediments remain unclear. Here, sediments from different WTD obtained from a typical coastal wetland were evaluated using a newly developed strategy based on chemical extraction methods coupled with high-resolution spectroscopy. Our findings indicated that the WTD of the coastal wetland fluctuates frequently and the average enrichment factor for Pb was categorized as minor, whereas Cd enrichment was categorized as moderate. High-resolution spectroscopy techniques also demonstrated that organic functional groups and partly inorganic compounds (e.g., Fe-O/Si-O) played a vital role in the binding of Pb and Cd to surface sediments. Additionally, mineral components rather than organic groups were mainly bound to these metals in the bottom sediments. Collectively, our findings provide key insights into the potential health effects and binding characteristics of potentially toxic metals in sediments, as well as their dynamic behavior under varying sediment depths at a microscale.     

Accretion of Nutrients and Sediment by a Constructed Stormwater Treatment Wetland in the Lake Tahoe Basin

This unique study evaluates the cumulative 16‐year lifetime performance of a wetland retention basin designed to treat stormwater runoff. Sediment cores were extracted prior to basin excavation and restoration to evaluate accretion rates and the origin of materials, retention characteristics of fine particulate matter, and overall pollutant removal efficiency. The sediment and organic layers together accreted 3.2 cm of depth per year, and 7.0 kg/m²/yr of inorganic material. Average annual accretion rates in g/m²/yr were as follows: C, 280; N, 17.7; P, 3.74; S, 3.80; Fe, 194; Mn, 2.68; Ca, 30.8; Mg, 30.7; K, 12.2; Na, 2.54; Zn, 0.858; Cu, 0.203; and B, 0.03. The accretion of C, N, P and sediment was comparable to nonwastewater treatment wetlands, overall, and relatively efficient for stormwater treatment wetlands. Comparison of particle size distribution between sediment cores and suspended solids in stormwater runoff indicated the wetland was effective at removing fine particles, with sediment cores containing 25% clay and 56% silt. A majority of the accretion of most metals and P could be attributed to efficient trapping of allochthonous material, while over half the accretion of C and N could be attributed to accumulation of autochthonous organic matter. Stormwater treatment was shown to be effective when physical properties of a retention basin are combined with the biological processes of a wetland, although sediment accretion can be relatively rapid.     

人工湿地污水处理工艺及除污机理

对人工湿地污水处理工艺及其对水中污染物的去除机理进行了综述，并对人工湿地处理污水的技术进行了展望。     

Impact of Sea Level Rise on Groundwater Salinity in a Coastal Community of South Florida1

Guha, Hillol and Sorab Panday, 2012. Impact of Sea Level Rise on Groundwater Salinity in a Coastal Community of South Florida. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(3): 510-529. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00630.x Abstract: Freshwater resources of coastal communities in the United States and world over are threatened by the rate of sea level rise. According to recent estimates by various governmental agencies and climate researchers, the global sea level rise is likely to be between 0.6 and 2.1 m by the year 2100. South Florida is a coastal community and much of its coastline is subject to sea level rise and potential impacts to wetlands and the water resources of the area. To understand what the impact of sea level rise would cause to the groundwater level and salinity intrusion, an integrated groundwater and surface water model was developed for North Miami-Dade and Broward Counties of South Florida. The model was calibrated against daily groundwater heads, base flows in canals, and chloride concentrations for a period of one year and six months. Three separate sensitivity analyses were conducted by increasing the sea level by 0.6, 0.9, and 1.22 m. Results of the simulations shows increase of groundwater heads in some areas from 4 to 15%; whereas the average relative chloride concentrations increased significantly by 100-600% in some wells. The increase in groundwater elevations and chloride concentrations varies from location of the wells and its proximity to the coast. The model results indicate that even a 0.6 m increase in sea level (which is the conservative estimate) is likely to impair the vital freshwater resources in many parts of South Florida.     

沿海高速公路风险评价体系构建

沿海高速公路建设面临地质条件复杂,气象灾害多样、工程类型多等困难,针对其风险评估工作多而繁杂的实际情况,以浙江沿海疏港高速公路为工程背景,选择道路工程、桥梁工程和隧道工程为研究对象,在其中筛选提炼出软土路基区、人工海岸区、跨海湾特大桥、水底隧道等作为评价对象,分析了在沿线地质条件及气象条件下,不同评价对象在施工期和运营期可能面临的各种风险因素,选择其中的主要风险因素,构成多级评估对象,搭建了沿海高速公路风险评价的体系,并且说明了所采用的评估方法和评估流程,并介绍了所采用的风险概率和风险后果等级标准。构建沿海高速公路风险评价体系能为我国的类似工程提供了借鉴。     

Evaluation of marine outfall with three-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality modeling

Numerical models are often used to evaluate the potential impact of human alternation of natural water bodies and to help the design of the alternation to mitigate its impacts. In the past decade, three-dimensional hydrodynamic and reactive transport modeling has matured from a research subject to a practical analysis technology. This paper presents a practical study in which a three-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model [hydrodynamic eutrophication model (HEM-3D)] was applied to determine the optimal location for treated wastewater discharged from marine outfall system in the Keelung harbor and the adjacent coastal sea. First, model validation was conducted with respect to surface elevation, current, and water quality variables measured in the Keelung harbor station and its coastal sea. The overall performance of the model was in qualitative agreement with the available field data. The model was then used to evaluate several scenarios of the locations from marine outfall system. Based on model simulation results, a location at the northeast of Ho-Ping Island was recommended for adoption because the environmental impact is smaller than any other alternative.

生物柴油促进原油污染砂粒释放油

对4种生物柴油促进原油污染砂粒释放油的效果进行了研究,并探讨了菜籽生物柴油投加量和砂粒粒径对促进效果的影响。结果表明,菜籽生物柴油的促进效果最好,8 h释放量达到73%,废油脂生物柴油的效果最差,仅为52%;生物柴油的促进效果随着投加量的增大而升高,当投加量超过海水体积的5%时促进效果不再明显增加;在生物柴油作用下,小粒径砂粒上原油的释放效果优于大粒径砂粒。     

青海湖几种主要湿地植物的种群分布格局及动态

应用种群生态空间分布的分析方法，研究了青海湖四种主要湿地植物：杉叶藻（Hippuris vulgaris)、槽杆荸荠（Eleocharis valleculosa)、华扁穗莞（Blysmus sinocompresus)、碱蓬（Suaeda glauca)的空间分布格局及其动态，研究表明：杉叶藻、槽杆荸荠、华扁穗莞三种群由侵入期、定期初期到种群发育盛期的过程中，其集群程度先增大后减小，总体呈扩散的趋势；碱蓬种群，从幼苗到繁殖期，集群程度增大，呈聚集的趋势，说明前三种植物的克隆繁殖方式于滨湖湿地生境具有更好的生态适应性，图2表3参11