The hardrock minerals industry and the landscape architect

The landscape architecture profession is a source of creative thinking and planning which is relatively untapped within the mining industry in the United States of America. The landscape architect has been active in European operations for years as indicated by the four examples presented. The landscape architect can provide an important interface with mine design and engineering and environmental affairs. To initiate this interface within the United States, and increase its effectiveness, six objectives are presented and discussed.     

Indicators of visual scale as predictors of landscape preference; a comparison between groups

Landscape change alters the visual scale of agricultural landscapes, as production units get larger and strips of taller vegetation are removed between smaller units. Visual scale, defined as the perceptual units reflecting the experience of landscape rooms, visibility and openness, is considered a key factor shaping landscape preference. The visual expression of landscapes affects people in many ways; aesthetic appreciation, health and well being. In order to understand how landscape changes alter the visual scale of landscapes, and hence its effect on human beings, it is important to establish efficient and practical ways of measuring visual scale and its relation to landscape preferences. This paper presents an empirical test of the ability to predict landscape preference of two photo-based indicators of visual scale; percentage open land in the view and size of landscape rooms. A preference survey was conducted with two groups of respondents; a student group from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) and a public group. The student group was chosen to represent future landscape professionals. Photos of landscapes varying in the expression of visual scale were shown to survey respondents, who were asked to give scores according to how much they liked the landscapes. Both indicators were found to be predictors of preference for the student group, but not for the public group. The results demonstrate that student preferences do not reflect the landscape preferences of the wider public. The different appreciation of visual scale in the landscape of future landscape professionals and the public implies that experts wanting to reflect preferences of the wider public should be cautious when evaluating the visual impact of landscape change.     

Chorionic villus sampling utilization following reports of a possible association with fetal limb defects

Prenatal diagnosis choices were reviewed in 473 women who presented for genetic counselling prior to 11 weeks' gestation for the indication of advanced maternal age. Group A consisted of 336 patients who were unaware of a possible association between chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and limb defects. Group B consisted of 137 patients who were provided this information. Fifty-one per cent of patients in group A and 45 per cent of patients in group B chose CVS. This difference was not significant by χ² analysis (P = 0·7). Patterns of prenatal diagnosis procedure utilization from 1987 to 1992 revealed a significant reduction in CVS utilization accompanied by a corresponding increase in amniocentesis after the association between CVS and limb defects was publicized. Referrals for CVS counselling also significantly declined. However, acceptance rates did not change for those patients who received genetic counselling. First-trimester genetic counselling, including a discussion regarding a possible association between CVS and limb defects, helps patients make informed decisions concerning prenatal diagnosis options, and, in our population, resulted in no change in CVS acceptance rates.     

Socio-economic impact management: programme design and implementation considerations

While larger mineral resource development projects offer new jobs and provide a stimulus to the economy of the area where they are sited, they may also pose problems in rural areas associated with rapid population growth. The purpose of an impact management programme is to anticipate and alleviate project effects that are generally perceived as undesirable and to enhance effects that are beneficial to site area communities. While the effective management of project effects is the end towards which all impact assessment efforts are directed, an integrated approach to impact management has been notably lacking. This paper suggests a systems framework for meeting this need by: (1) reviewing the need for impact management efforts; (2) discussing the objectives of, and considerations in, designing impact management programmes; (3) presenting a conceptual framework for, and key components of, such a programme; and (4) suggesting an approach for implementing such a system as an integral part of the project development process.     

White-tailed deer movement and distribution about surface coal mines in West Virginia,USA

Deer movements around surface coal mines were investigated in Preston Country, West Virginia, USA. Seventy-two deer crossings were counted on 29 surface mines with only 8% found on highwalls with more than 20% rock or stone. Thus, although slope was important, the percentage of dirt on the highwall determined use as a crossing location for deer. The average distance between all deer crossing was 209.7 m but the distance between the end of the highwall and the nearest highwall crossing was 248.7 m indicating reluctance of deer to cross mines when they could walk around them. Winter snow track counts showed fewer deer within 90 m of the top edge of the highwall. Four land bridges traversed the highwall and were heavily utilized by deer, especially in March, April, May, October and November. The surface mine bench was used as a fawn bedding area, but little feeding occurred on this portion of the mine.     

A field test of processed oil shale reclamation strategies designed for minimal use of limited resources

Reclamation of processed oil shale disposal areas in the arid and semi-arid regions of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming faces several challenging problems. Shallow topsoil, harsh climate and limited water supply and low suitability of processed oil shale as a plant growth medium must be addressed if any reclamation plan is to be successful.A prototype reclamation plan that addressed the harsh environmental conditions was proposed early in the development of oil shale in eastern Utah. Studies to validate the reclamation plan were initiated in 1978 on a simulated oil shale disposal area at Anvil Points, Colorado.Four native shrubs, one forb and a grass, were successfully established by planting container-grown transplants into a topsoil-filled V-shaped trench. Supplemental water was provided from an adjacent water harvesting slope. The roots of the transplanted species grew into the adjacent shale from the soil trench, thus indicating their adaptability to the adverse oil shale conditions.Support for this research was provided by the White River Shale Corporation, Salt Lake City, Utah.     

Indicators of perceived naturalness as drivers of landscape preference

The concept of naturalness is one of the more studied concepts in landscape preference research and describes how close a landscape is to a perceived natural state. In this study we explored the relationship between landscape preference and three landscape indicators of naturalness (level of succession, number of woodland patches and shape index of edges). We used computer-generated visualisations of a hypothetical landscape containing pasture and broadleaved woodland. In the landscape simulations we altered the values of the naturalness indicators between the levels of low, medium and high, creating 27 different visualisations. The survey was distributed as an on-line survey in seven different languages and obtained 703 respondents. The study showed a strong relationship with preference for both the level of succession and number of woodland patches, and a weaker relationship with shape index of edges. The two demographic factors which were shown to contribute most to the formation of preference were gender and having a landscape related profession. The results suggest that the selected indicators are more important drivers of preference than demographic factors.