Lakes,Wetlands, and Streams as Predictors of Land Use/Cover Distribution

The importance of the surrounding landscape to aquatic ecosystems has been well established. Most research linking aquatic ecosystems to landscapes has focused on the one-way effect of land on water. However, to understand fully the complex interactions between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems must be seen not only as receptors of human modification of the landscape, but also as potential drivers of these modifications. We hypothesized that the presence of aquatic ecosystems influences the spatial distribution of human land use/cover of the nearby landscape (≤1 km) and that this influence has changed through time from the 1930s to the 1990s. To test this hypothesis, we compared the distribution of residential, agricultural, and forested land use/cover around aquatic ecosystems (lakes, wetlands, and streams) to the overall regional land use/cover proportion in an area in southeast Michigan, USA; we also compared the distribution of land use/cover around county roads/highway and towns (known determinants of many land use/cover patterns) to the regional proportion. We found that lakes, wetlands, and streams were strongly associated with the distribution of land use/cover, that each ecosystem type showed different patterns, and that the magnitude of the association was at least as strong as the association with human features. We also found that the area closest to aquatic ecosystems (<500 m) was more strongly associated with land use/cover distribution than areas further away. Finally, we found that the strength of the association between aquatic ecosystems and land use/cover increased from 1938 to 1995, although the overall patterns were similar through time. Our results show that a more complete understanding is needed of the role of aquatic ecosystems on the distribution of land use/cover.     

Decreased carbon and nutrient input to boreal lakes from particulate organic matter following riparian clear-cutting

The plankton communities of oligotrophic Canadian Shield lakes are strongly regulated by the allochthonous supply of total phosphorus (TP) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a proportion of both of which originate from particulate organic matter. Although decreased inputs of allochthonous leaf litter have been documented for small streams whose riparian forests have been removed, no such data exist for boreal lakes. Through estimates of airborne litter input from forested and clear-cut shorelines and laboratory measurements of concentrations released from leaf leachate, we determined that riparian deforestation resulted in reductions of DOC from 17.8 to 0.4 g/m shoreline/yr and of TP from 2.9 to 0.3 g/m shoreline/yr. Previous predictive models indicate that such reductions may be substantial enough to decrease basic metabolic processes of lake plankton communities by as much as 9% in primary production and 17% in respiration.     

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition and its long-term dynamics in a southeast China coastal area

Measurements were conducted during 2004-2005 and 2009-2010 to characterize atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition to the Jiulong River Estuary - Xiamen Bay area in southeast China. Isotopic analysis and long-term data (1990-2009) for inorganic N extracted from the national acid deposition dataset were used to determine the dominant source of atmospheric nitrate and N component dynamics. The results showed that the mean dissolved total N concentration in rain water for the three coastal area sites was 2.71 ± 1.58 mg N L(-1) (n = 141) in 2004. The mean dissolved inorganic N at the Xiamen site was 1.62 ± 1.19 mg N L(-1) (n = 46) in 2004-2005 and 1.56 ± 1.39 mg N L(-1) (n = 36) in 2009-2010, although the difference is not significant, nitrate turnover dominates the N component in the latter period. Total deposition flux over Xiamen was 30 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1), of which dry and wet deposition contributed 16% and 84%, respectively. Nitrate in wet deposition with low isotopic value (between -3.05 and -7.48‰) was likely to have mostly originated from combustion NO(x) from vehicle exhausts. The inorganic N in acid deposition exhibited a significant increase (mainly for nitrate) since the mid-1990s, which is consistent with the increased gaseous concentrations of NO(x) and expanding number of automobiles in the coastal city (Xiamen). The time series of nitrate anions and ammonium cations as well as pH values during the period 1990-2009 reflected an increasing trend of N emission with potential implication for N-induced acidification.     

Modeling hydrology and eutrophication in a Louisiana swamp forest ecosystem

The EPA Storm Water Management Model (1971) was used to model hydrodynamics, nutrient dynamics, and eutrophication in a Louisiana swamp forest ecosystem. The present system of canals and spoil banks in the swamp causes impoundment of swamp areas and does not optimize discharge from the swamp forest. Simulations showed that hydraulics could be managed to increase discharge rates to the lower estuary (22 percent), to increase productivity of the swamp forest (100 percent), and to decrease lake eutrophication (43 percent). This could be done by removing spoil banks in the swamp and allowing upland runoff to pass through the backswamp.     

Environmental issues in Sweden 1973–1989: Science and policy

The aim of this study is to analyze the environmental agenda in Sweden during the last two decades. A content analysis was made of all articles in a Swedish journal,Miljö-Aktuellt. Further, to elucidate the evolutionary process of problem formulation and reformulation, two cases were investigated, dealing with the impact of plant nutrients and mercury on surface water quality. The transport of heavy metals is an essential component of the ecological process and problem of acidification, and similarly, plant nutrients are part of the concept of eutrophication. Two concepts, the research cycle and the policy cycle, are tentatively applied to the conceptualizations of acidification and eutrophication. Additional data for the latter part of the study is supplied from parliamentary motions during 1973–1989. The substance/media focus of the 1970s was connected to a point-source abatement strategy, which mainly aimed at removing negative effects at a local level. The development of a national preventive strategy is traced in problem formulations related to “processes” going on in the technosphere: wastes, noise, energy production, traffic, and toxic substances. This period lasted from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, and the need for improved resource management as a means to control environmental problems has been a generally accepted idea. However, this does not mean that measures actually taken are sufficient in a material balance perspective. Further, in the 1980s there was a strong emphasis upon processes in the ecosphere. This focus also implies source-related policies. To a certain extent, the remedies are within the scope of national capabilities, but the international dimension is becoming increasingly important. Scientific proofs of resource and environment degradation are essential to induce political action and to stimulate international cooperation. From this study, however, it is not possible to assess the existence of any particular policy-triggering information.     

Application and sensitivity testing of a eutrophication assessment method on coastal systems in the United States and European Union

The Assessment of Estuarine Trophic Status (ASSETS) screening model has been extended to allow its application to both estuarine and coastal systems. The model, which combines elements of pressure, state and response, was tested on four systems: Maryland Coastal Bays and Long Island Sound in the United States and The Firth of Clyde (Scotland) and Tagus Estuary (Portugal) in the European Union. The overall scores were: Maryland Coastal Bays: Bad; Firth of Clyde: Poor; Tagus Estuary: Good. Long Island Sound was modelled along a timeline, using 1991 data (score: Bad) and 2002 data (score: Moderate). The improvement registered for Long Island Sound is a consequence of the reduction in nutrient loading, and the ASSETS score changed accordingly. The two main areas where developments are needed are (a) In the definition of type-specific ranges for eutrophication parameters, due to the recognition that natural or pristine conditions may vary widely, and the use of a uniform set of thresholds artificially penalizes some systems and potentially leads to misclassification; (b) In the definition and quantification of measures which will result in an improved state through a change in pressures, as well as in the definition of appropriate metrics through which response may be assessed. One possibility is the use of detailed research models where different response scenarios potentially produce changes in pressure and state. These outputs may be used to drive screening models and analyze the suitability of candidate metrics for evaluating management options.     

Patternising phytoplankton dynamics of two shallow lakes in response to restoration measures by applying non-supervised artificial neural networks

Long-term time-series data sets of two shallow Dutch lakes, Lake Veluwemeer and Lake Wolderwijd were subjected to ordination and clustering by means of non-supervised artificial neural networks (ANN). Splitting of the data sets into sub-series corresponding with three different management periods have allowed a comparative analysis of both the short-term seasonal and long-term phytoplankton dynamics in relation to the restoration measures. The lakes were considered as hyper-eutrophic and have been managed both with bottom-up and top-down management approaches. Results of the study have demonstrated that non-supervised ANN allow to elucidate causal relationships of complex ecological processes (1) within the specific genus, Oscillatoria and Scenedesmus and (2) the combination of external nutrient control and in-lake food web manipulation of the two lakes achieved to control eutrophication.     

Use of avian and mammalian guilds as indicators of cumulative impacts in riparian-wetland areas

A new method of assessing cumulative effects of human activities on bird and mammal communities of riparian-wetland areas was developed by using response guilds to reflect how species theoretically respond to habitat disturbance on a landscape level. All bird and mammal species of Pennsylvania were assigned values for each response guild using documented information for each species, to reflect their sensitivity to disturbances; high guild scores corresponded to low tolerance toward habitat disturbance. We hypothesized that, given limited time and resources, determining how wildife communities change in response to environmental impacts can be done more efficiently with a response-guild approach than a single-species approach. To test the model, censuses of birds and mammals were conducted along wetland and riparian areas of a protected and a disturbed watershed in central Pennsylvania. The percent of bird species with high response-guild scores (i.e., species that had specific habitat requirements and/or were neotropical migrants) remained relatively stable through the protected watershed. As intensity of habitat alteration increased through the disturbed watershed, percentage of bird species with high response-guild scores decreased. Only 2%–3% of the neotropical migrants that had specific habitat requirements were breeding residents in disturbed habitats as compared to 17%–20% in reference areas. Species in the edge and exotic guild classifications (low guild scores) were found in greater percentages in the disturbed watershed. Composition of mammalian guilds showed no consistent pattern associated with habitat disturbance. Avian response guilds reflected habitat disturbance more predictively than mammalian response guilds.     

Comparison of Hydrology of Wetlands in Pennsylvania and Oregon (USA) as an Indicator of Transferability of Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) Functional Models Between Regions

The hydrogeomorphic (HGM) approach to wetland classification and functional assessment is becoming more widespread in the United States but its use has been limited by the length of time needed to develop appropriate data sets and functional assessment models. One particularly difficult aspect is the transferability among geographic regions of specific models used to assess wetland function. Sharing of models could considerably shorten development and implementation of HGM throughout the United States and elsewhere. As hydrology is the driving force behind wetland functions, we assessed the comparability of hydrologic characteristics of three HGM subclasses (slope, headwater floodplain, mainstem floodplain) using comparable long-term hydrologic data sets from different regions of the United States (Ridge and Valley Province in Pennsylvania and the Willamette Valley in Oregon). If hydrology by HGM subclass were similar between different geographic regions, it might be possible to more readily transfer extant models between those regions. We found that slope wetlands (typically groundwater-driven) had similar hydrologic characteristics, even though absolute details (such as depth of water) differed. We did not find the floodplain subclasses to be comparable, likely due to effects of urbanization in Oregon, regional differences in soils and, perhaps, climate. Slight differences in hydrology can shift wetland functions from those mediated by aerobic processes to those dominated by anaerobic processes. Functions such as nutrient cycling can be noticeably altered as a result. Our data suggest considerable caution in the application of models outside of the region for which they were developed.     

The US Clean Water Act and habitat replacement: evaluation of mitigation sites in Orange County,California, USA

Both permit requirements and ecological assessments have been used to evaluate mitigation success. This analysis combines these two approaches to evaluate mitigation required under Section 404 of the United States Clean Water Act (CWA) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which allow developers to provide compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts to wetlands. This study reviewed permit files and conducted field assessments of mitigation sites to evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation required by the US Army Corps of Engineers for all permits issued in Orange County, California from 1979 through 1993. The 535 permit actions approved during this period allowed 157 ha of impacts. Mitigation was required on 70 of these actions, with 152 ha of enhanced, restored, and created habitat required for 136 ha of impacts. In 15 permit actions, no mitigation project was constructed, but in only two cases was the originally permitted project built; the two cases resulted in an unmitigated loss of 1.6 ha. Of the remaining 55 sites, 55% were successful at meeting the permit conditions while 11% failed to do so. Based on a qualitative assessment of habitat quality, only 16% of the sites could be considered successful and 26% were considered failures. Thus, of the 126 ha of habitat lost due to the 55 projects, only 26 ha of mitigation was considered successful. The low success rate was not due to poor enforcement, although nearly half of the projects did not comply with all permit conditions. Mitigation success could best be improved by requiring mitigation plans to have performance standards based on habitat functions.     

Toward Reversal of Eutrophic Conditions in a Subtropical Estuary: Water Quality and Seagrass Response to Nitrogen Loading Reductions in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA

Coastal waters have been significantly influenced by increased inputs of nutrients that have accompanied population growth in adjacent drainage basins. In Tampa Bay, Florida, USA, the population has quadrupled since 1950. By the late 1970s, eutrophic conditions including phytoplankton and macroalgal blooms and seagrass losses were evident. The focus of improving Tampa Bay is centered on obtaining sufficient water quality necessary for restoring seagrass habitat, estimated to have been 16,400 ha in 1950 but reduced to 8800 ha by 1982. To address these problems, targets for nutrient load reductions along with seagrass restoration goals were developed and actions were implemented to reach adopted targets. Empirical regression models were developed to determine relationships between chlorophyll a concentrations and light attenuation adequate for sustainable seagrass growth. Additional empirical relationships between nitrogen loading and chlorophyll a concentrations were developed to determine how Tampa Bay responds to changes in loads. Data show that when nitrogen load reduction and chlorophyll a targets are met, seagrass cover increases. After nitrogen load reductions and maintenance of chlorophyll a at target levels, seagrass acreage has increased 25% since 1982, although more than 5000 ha of seagrass still require recovery. The cooperation of scientists, managers, and decision makers participating in the Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s Nitrogen Management Strategy allows the Tampa Bay estuary to continue to show progress towards reversing many of the problems that once plagued its waters. These results also highlight the importance of a multi-entity watershed management process in maintaining progress towards science-based natural resource goals.     

Isolated Spring Wetlands in the Great Basin and Mojave Deserts,USA: Potential Response of Vegetation to Groundwater Withdrawal

Desert springs, often the sole sources of water for wildlife and cattle, support wetland and wetland/upland transition ecosystems including rare and endemic species. In the basin and range province in Nevada, USA, springs in the Great Basin and Mojave deserts are sustained by interconnected deep carbonate and shallow basin-fill aquifers which are threatened by proposed groundwater withdrawal to sustain rapidly expanding urban areas, a common problem in arid regions worldwide. This paper draws on historic groundwater data, groundwater modeling, and studies of environmental controls of spring ecosystems to speculate on the potential effects of groundwater withdrawal and water table decline on spring-supported vegetation. The focus is on springs in the Great Basin and Mojave deserts representative of those that may be affected by future, planned groundwater withdrawal. Groundwater withdrawal is expected to reduce spring discharge directly through reduced flows from the shallow basin-fill aquifer or through reduction of the hydraulic head of the deep carbonate aquifer. This flow reduction will truncate the outflow stream, reducing the areal cover of wetland and wetland/upland transition vegetation. Lowering the local water table may also reduce the amount of upland phreatophytic vegetation by causing water levels to drop below plant rooting depths. Percolation of salts to surface soils may be reduced, eventually altering desert shrub cover from halophytes to nonhalophytes. The extent of these effects will vary among springs, based on their distance from extraction sites and location relative to regional groundwater flow paths. On-site monitoring of biotic variables (including cover of selected hygrophytes and phreatophytes) should be a necessary complement to the planned monitoring of local hydrologic conditions.     

Discovering meaningful information from large amounts of environment and health data to reduce uncertainties in formulating environmental policies

This study uses knowledge discovery concepts to analyze large amounts of data step by step for the purpose of assisting in the formulation of environmental policy. We performed data cleansing and extracting from existing nation-wide databases, and used regression and classification techniques to analyze the data. The current water hardness in Kaohsiung, Taiwan contributes to the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) but exacerbates the development of renal stones (RS). However, to focus on water hardness alone to control RS would not be cost effective at all, because the existing database parameters do not adequately allow for a clear understanding of RS. Analysis of huge amounts of data can most often turn up the most reliable and convincing results and the use of existing databases can be cost-effective.     

Two methods to define and compute visual buffer strips in a forested environment

Several approaches can be used to define and construct visual buffer strips around proposed new facility sites in a forested environment. A visual buffer strip of a given value, defines a region around an object within which the probability of an unblocked view of all or portions of it by an observer are less than the buffer strip probability value. Two primary approaches are used to define visual buffer strips that take into account the size of the vegetative elements and their individual effects on visibility. Several variations and combinations of the approaches are possible. One approach defines a visual buffer strip based on the average probability of a clear view of points along the object by an observer; the other approach is based on the visibility of the feature as a whole. The computation and construction of visual buffer strips based on these two concepts are presented. Comparisons of the two approaches for specific feature shapes are also described.     

Gender differences in relation to wayfinding strategies, navigational support design, and wayfinding task difficulty

This study investigated user wayfinding navigational performance in terms of two navigational support designs (guide sign and you-are-here map, i.e., YAH), wayfinding strategies (egocentric/route and allocentric/survey), task difficulty (terrestrial/2D or weightless/3D), and gender differences. Eighty participants (40 males and 40 females) were recruited for the wayfinding experiment. The experimental results and statistical analysis indicated that, in the weightless VR scene, navigation time for the terrestrial/2D task type was significantly shorter than for the weightless/3D task type. The guide sign support was significantly more effective than YAH map support. Moreover, the interactions between support style and gender difference indicated that males exhibit better wayfinding performance than females, but that appropriate support can improve navigational performance and eliminate gender differences. In addition, the Way-Finding Strategy Scale result showed that the females were more likely to adopt the egocentric strategy while males were more likely to adopt the allocentric strategy, and that their scores were negatively correlated with navigational performance. Our results can be used to evaluate the interface designs of navigational support systems taking into consideration gender differences with respect to 3D VR games, including VR diving or flying navigational systems.     

Coercive versus cooperative pollution control: Comparative study of state programs to reduce erosion and sedimentation pollution in urban areas

This article examines coercive and cooperative approaches to implementing state urban erosion and sedimentation pollution control programs. State administrators report serious shortfalls in their ability to control sources of pollution, but comparison of more and less successful programs provides evidence of what states can do to make programs more effective. Key ingredients for a successful state effort include the use of coercion with both the private sector and local government, adequate staffing, application of severe sanctions when violations of state standards are detected, and provision of technical assistance. Many state programs lack one or more of those elements, which explains their inability to adequately control urban erosion and sedimentation pollution.     

Carbon dioxide flux as affected by tillage and irrigation in soil converted from perennial forages to annual crops

Among greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO(2)) is one of the most significant contributors to regional and global warming as well as climatic change. A field study was conducted to (i) determine the effect of soil characteristics resulting from changes in soil management practices on CO(2) flux from the soil surface to the atmosphere in transitional land from perennial forages to annual crops, and (ii) develop empirical relationships that predict CO(2) flux from soil temperature and soil water content. The CO(2) flux, soil temperature (T(s)), volumetric soil water content (theta(v)) were measured every 1-2 weeks in no-till (NT) and conventional till (CT) malt barley and undisturbed soil grass-alfalfa (UGA) systems in a Lihen sandy loam soil (sandy, mixed, frigid Entic Haplustoll) under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions in western North Dakota. Soil air-filled porosity (epsilon) was calculated from total soil porosity and theta(v) measurements. Significant differences in CO(2) fluxes between land management practices (irrigation and tillage) were observed on some measurement dates. Higher CO(2) fluxes were detected in CT plots than in NT and UGA treatments immediately after rainfall or irrigation. Soil CO(2) fluxes increased with increasing soil moisture (R(2)=0.15, P<0.01) while an exponential relationship was found between CO(2) emission and T(s) (R(2)=0.59). Using a stepwise regression analysis procedure, a significant multiple regression equation was developed between CO(2) flux and theta(v), T(s) (CO(2) [Formula: see text] ; R(2)=0.68, P0.01). Not surprisingly, soil temperature was a driving factor in the equation, which accounted for approximately 59% in variation of CO(2) flux. It was concluded that less intensive tillage, such as no-till or strip tillage, along with careful irrigation management will reduce soil CO(2) evolution from land being converted from perennial forages to annual crops.     

Tropical deciduous forests and the adivasi. Indigenous traditions as response to leaf fall in Bastar, India

This article draws attention to the crucial link between the tropical deciduous forest ecosystem and the lifestyle of the adivasi (indigenous) people. Taking the case of Bastar District in Chhattisgarh, Central India, an analysis is made of the various commonly used wild plants, their deciduous habit, and the adivasi calendar that regulates the peoples’ use of these plants. By examining the specific seasonal patterns of leaf fall of plants and the dates set for the commencement of their use, the article shows that there is an implicit relation between adivasi festivals and the deciduous character of Bastar's forests.