Landscape-level ecological regions: Linking state-level ecoregion frameworks with stream habitat classifications

Regionalization is a form of spatial classification, where boundaries are drawn around areas that are relatively homogeneous in landscape characteristics. The process of delineating ecological regions, or ecoregions, includes the analysis of ecosystem structure. To date, ecoregions have been developed at national and state scales for research and resource management. Stream classification is another method to order the variability of aquatic habitats that spans spatial scales from microhabitat to valley segment. In this study, landscape-level ecoregions are developed for the upper Grande Ronde River basin in northeastern Oregon, 3000 sq km in area. The ecoregion framework presented here is proposed to bridge the gap between stream habitat and state-level ecoregion classifications. Classification at this scale is meant to address issues of management at local scales: to aid in sampling design, in extrapolation of the results of site-specific studies, and in the development of best management practices that are more predictive of ecosystem response than current methods.     

RIVER AMENITY EVALUATION: A REVIEW AND COMMENTARY1

ABSTRACT: During the past 15 years a number of methods have been developed that purport to evaluate the amenity values of rivers. Most methods are designed to identify the physical, biological, cultural, and esthetic features of a river or river corridor that are conducive to recreation, preservation, and other amenity values. This paper reviews and comments on 13 methods that evaluate amenity values. The methods are reviewed and discussed under three general headings: River Recreation Potential Evaluation, River Esthetic Evaluation, and River Preservation Evaluation. A final section of the paper identifies areas where improvements and further research are needed.     

LIMNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF A ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEADWATER RESERVOIR1

ABSTRACT: Hyalite Reservoir, Montana, was studied to determine properties of this small, montane, headwater, deep-release reservoir relative to reservoirs at lower elevations. While retention times for waters were as brief as 12 d, the mean residency of 40 d from mid-March to mid-December was within the range reported for other reservoirs. No significant through-reservoir gradients for suspended sediments were observed, contrasting to observations for most reservoirs. Thermal stratification, evident during the first part of the summer, was disrupted in August by cool, dense tributary inflows and strong wind-induced mixing. Dissolved oxygen concentrations paralleled temperature patterns in the reservoir; lowest average values for both occurred in waters sampled nearest the outlet. Total phosphorus averaged greater than twice the total nitrogen concentrations; greatest average concentrations for both were found in the near-bottom waters nearest the outlet. Enrichment of nitrogen concentrations in outflow over inflow waters is hypothesized to occur through nitrogen fixation by Aphanizonwnon flos-aquae. Despite the relatively high quality of waters from tributary inflows, an algal bloom, chlorophyll a concentrations, and primary productivity estimates suggested that the reservoir was mesotrophic. Circulation of waters within the reservoir was primarily influenced by wind-induced mixing, thermal gradients, and currents produced by the deep-water outlet.     

Regional reference sites: a method for assessing stream potentials

Field assessments of impacted streams require a control or at least an unbiased estimate of attainable conditions. Control sites, such as upstream/downstream or wilderness sites, have proven inadequate for assessing attainable ecological conditions where the control streams differ naturally from the impacted streams to a considerable degree or where different disturbances exist than those being studied. Relatively undisturbed reference sites with watersheds in areas having the same land-surface form, soil, potential natural vegetation, and land use as are predominant in large, relatively homogeneous regions are suggested as alternative control sites. These areas are considered typical of the region and therefore the sites also are considered typical of the region because their watersheds exhibit all the terrestrial variables that make that region a region. The logical basis for developing regional reference sites lies in the ability to group watersheds and common stream types into regions by integrating available maps of terrestrial variables that influence streams. Relatively undisturbed reference sites can be selected from typical areas of the regions and from transition zones where one or two of the terrestrial variables are not the predominant one(s) of the region. These reference sites are useful for estimating attainable conditions, for evaluating temporal and spatial changes in ecological integrity, for classifying attainable uses of streams, and for setting biological and environmental criteria.     

DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN WATERSHEDS AND ECOREGIONS1

ABSTRACT: In an effort to adopt more holistic ecosystem approaches to resource assessment and management, many state and federal agencies have begun using watershed or ecoregion frameworks. Although few would question the need to make this move from dealing with problems and issues on a case by case or point-type basis to broader regional contexts, misunderstanding of each of the frameworks has resulted in inconsistency in their use and ultimate effectiveness. The focus of this paper is on the clarification of both frameworks. We stress that the issue is not whether to use watersheds (or basins or hydrologic units) or ecoregions for needs such as developing ecosystem management and non-point source pollution strategies or structuring water quality regulatory programs, but how to correctly use the frameworks together. Definitions, uses, and misuses of each of the frameworks are discussed as well as ways watersheds and ecoregions can be and have been used together effectively to meet resource management needs.     

THE CHUBB/BAUMAN METHOD FOR ESTIMATING THE RECREATION POTENTIAL OF RIVERS: A CRITICAL REVIEW1

ABSTRACT: The Chubb/Bauman (Ch/B) method for making quantitative estimates of recreation potential for rivers is based on the 1968/ 69 Leopold method for quantitative assessment of the scenic beauty of rivers. Both use classifications of environmental variables as the database. Unlike the Leopold method, the classifications used in the Ch/B method consistently reflect human preferences. The Ch/B method collects information on 67 variables, and uses a computer program to produce estimates of potential for 16 common recreation activities. This critique evaluates selected concepts and procedures of the Ch/B method partly by comparison with other available methods of recreation resource inventory. It considers the validity and utility of numerical weighting of variables, the use of numbers derived from place in a classification, and the transformation process. The quantitative techniques of the method exhibit serious flaws. Much of the data produced by the method appears to be quantitative but in fact is not, and it does not produce truly quantitative estimates of recreation potential. Classifications of generalized geographic or environmental variables are shown to have serious defects as a basis for evaluation of recreational potential.     

RIVER BASIN SIMULATION MODELS: GUIDELINES FOR THEIR USE IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING1

ABSTRACT: Simulation models constructed to estimate the physical and economic performance of alternative river basin development configurations have been widely used since the start of the Harvard Water Program in the early 1960's. These models have proved useful in choosing from among several potential river basin configurations, since they can rapidly evaluate each configuration's expected performance. However, when dealing with large scale river basin development projects, in which over 50 or 100 alternative reservoirs, irrigation areas, and other components must be considered, it is sometimes quite difficult to effectively use a simulation model to rapidly identify those combinations of projects which best satisfy the development objectives. The purpose of this paper is to describe how a simulation model was used in the analysis of a complex river basin development project in Eastern Europe, and how the problems of scale were confronted and solved. The author's experience on this projet is used to derive a set of general guidelines which may be helpful in other simulation studies.     

Constituency Bias in a Federal Resource Management Agency: a Confirmatory Analysis

In a 1989 article, Ben Twight and Fremont Lyden compared the attitudes of national forest managers in the United States in 1981 with those of its major constituents to assess the extent to which the U.S. Forest Service was biased: were the beliefs and values of agency employees concerning resource management more representative of one of two major constituent groups, environmentalists and forest utilizers? The research tested Culhane's (Public Lands Politics: Interest Group Influence on the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Baltimore, Maryland: John Hopkins University Press. 1981) theory that the Forest Service occupies a middle ground in its attitudes relative to those of its environmental and utilization constituencies. They concluded that the agency did not; ideologically, district rangers were quite close to the Forest Service's utilizer constituency and relatively far from its environmentalist constituency. Given recent changes in the attitudes of Forest Services managers, the present study sought to answer the question: what do these changes reveal about the ideological position of the agency in 1981 vis a vis its position in 1990, and what are their implications for continuing concerns over the agency's representation of all interest groups? The response to survey questions of four groups—1990 district rangers and district rangers, environmentalists and forest utilizers in 1981—were combined for statistical comparison. Discriminant analyses were conducted to clarify the differences in the groups. Although the hypothesized bias of the Forest Service toward the traditional utilizer position was confirmed, the results also suggested that managers' values and attitudes had changed over the decade. The major issue underlying this bias—preservation versus utilization of resources—no longer adequately represented the agency's position, which has been fragmented into concerns with multiple issues.     

邛海富营养化状态评价初探

以邛海2006年四个水质监测点水质监测资料为基础,采用综合营养状态指数法对邛海营养状态进行综合评价,通过评价得出：邛海水质已呈中富营养化状态。同时根据邛海水质营养状况,提出了一定的措施建议：限期治理上游污染源;调整养殖结构;限制邛海周边低档次、小规模的度假村、农家乐的建设;采用生物修复等措施。     

IMPROVED RIVER BASIN UTILIZATION THROUGH SYSTEMS ANALYSIS1

ABSTRACT. Theoretical and practical results are summarized for a study to determine optimal water resource allocation in a proposed water conservancy district. The area of this district, which covers several river basins, contains a large number of existing and proposed facilities such as reservoirs and diversions. The operation of all of these facilities was to be determined along with the sizing of the proposed facilities in order to optimize given objective functions. Related efforts in optimal river basin utilization were surveyed, and linear programming was selected as an expedient optimization technique. The problem is formulated by identifying time stages which together constitute a repetitive cycle such as a year. With these stages, it is possible to associate operational and capacity variables with network components, which are branches and nodes. Objective functions are assembled for the component variables. Constraint equations are written in terms of the variables to reflect network nodal continuity, capacity restrictions, and adjudications such as water rights. A numerical example is considered in which the existing and proposed facilities are aggregated to produce a small, tractable number of facilities. This paper examines the example results and suggests future improvements for models of this type.     

Integrated economic-ecological analysis and evaluation of management strategies on nutrient abatement in the Rhine basin

Management of river basins involves the making of informed choices about the desired levels of economic activities and ecosystem functioning in the catchment. Information on the economic and ecological effects of measures as well as their spatial distribution is therefore needed. This paper proposes the following instruments to support decision-making in river basins: (1) the linking of models and indicators to describe the economic and ecological effects of management actions and their spatial distribution and (2) an extended evaluation framework that aims to evaluate management actions on three objectives for sustainable river management. These are cost-effectiveness, spatial equity, and environmental quality. This paper illustrates the potential of these instruments for river basin management by a case-study on nutrient management in the Rhine basin. In this case-study four nutrient abatement strategies are formulated, based on policies of the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine and the North Sea Commission. These strategies are analysed and evaluated on their contribution to the three management objectives. Results show that none of these strategies score highest on cost-effectiveness, spatial equity and environmental quality simultaneously. It appears that cost-effectiveness is in conflict with environmental quality, whereas spatial equity and cost-effectiveness show quite close correspondence. This means that a trade-off has to be made between costs and spatial equity on the one hand, and environmental standards on the other hand. This paper offers a framework to make these trade-offs more explicit and provides quantitative information on cause-effect relationships, economic and environmental effects and the spatial distribution of these effects for various management strategies. This information can be particularly useful in the development of compromises required to establish international agreement and co-operation.     

新常态下我国生态环保监管体制改革的问题与建议——国际借鉴与国内创新

我国生态环境监管体制,横向上具有统一监督管理与各部门分工负责相结合的特点,纵向上具有中央与地方的分级监督管理相结合的特点,与我国经济社会发展的水平相适应。但也存在一些问题,如横向职能分散,缺乏有效协调;纵向监管乏力,执行约束不足;社会和市场参与不足,多元共治的环保体制尚未健全。域外具有环境保护监管职能趋向独立和综合、环境保护和其他邻接领域监管职能趋向合并、环境保护职能趋向分散三类代表性体制,体现权威性加强、集中与分散相结合、强调协调与合作等发展趋势。我国生态环境监管体制改革,横向上可以赋予环保部门宏观调控、综合协调、监督执法、公共服务的职能和协调权;纵向上加强国家一级的环保监督管理能力,保障落实省一级的环保责任。为了建立自然资源节约、生态保护和污染防治统一监督管理的机制,有必要恢复设立国家和地方环境保护委员会及其办公室,明确地方各级环境保护部门的统一监督管理职责,在地方各级环境保护局内设立统一监督管理机构,优化相关领域的自然资源、生态保护和环境污染防治监管体制机制,明确专门监管与综合监管失职的责任和责任追究机制等。     

关于我国当前水质自动监测站管理机制的探讨

随着水质自动监测站数量的不断增加,水质自动监测站的管理问题日渐突出,由于缺乏必要的管理经验和管理制度,出现了各种各样的管理模式。水质自动监测站的建成实现了间断性人工监测向连续性自动监测的转变,实现了水质监测实时远程控制的连续性,高频次的监测结果更能客观、准确地判断断面水质的质量状况,使得河流水质评价更具科学性、准确性,能更好地服务于环境管理工作。